Consequences
by birdie7272
Summary: Merlin and Arthur are finally together, but they weren't the only ones waiting for that to happen. When a prophecy is fulfilled it tends to have a ripple effect. Can they stand together as the realm of magic crashes into the world they live? Merthur. Plot and Smut.
1. Prophecy

**AN:** Is that...no it can't be...but yes, yes it is! 3rd installment of my Merlin trilogy- a year later. I know I suck. So sorry, but your support and messaging me has done wonderful things in kicking my butt down into my seat so I can type away.

You don't _need_ to read the first two parts (Whiskey's Effect, Tempting) but you know...more fics more fun.

Plot (*hiss*boo*boo plot*). Don't worry you get smut too.

Plot and Smut.

Rated M for the obvious.

Enjoy!

* * *

Where we left off...

"_Merlin_." A voice rang out in Merlin's mind causing him to stop halfway down the corridor, quickly snapping his head back and checking around...but he already knew it was pointless.

"_Merlin_." Again the voice called out for him and he grimaced. He knew that voice anywhere.

And he had been in such a good mood.

"_Merlin_."

That was the voice of the Great Dragon. That was never a good thing.

* * *

"Young warlock." Kilgharrah greeted as soon as his torch light entered the cavern, already waiting for him perched on his rock across from the entrance. "You do not look happy to see me."

It was true. Merlin wasn't really happy to see him as he leaned against the wall and pouted. "Forgive me but I'm really rather tired. Is there any way we could do this tomorrow…or after supper?"

"I called you for a purpose."

"Right." He sighed and tried to stand up straighter, something rather exhausting for him at the moment. An entire hunting trip passed and he was longing for his bed. Not that they were hunting but still…tired. "And that purpose is….?"

"Arthur."

"Yes, what a surprise. What about him?"

The dragon ignored his sarcasm easily and leaned further towards the sorcerer, the rock beneath him crunching with his weight and echoing in his prison, as he prepared to explain the gravity of the situation to the young boy. "Your fate has always been destined. It appears you have come to certain milestones much quicker than expected. "

"What do you mean?"

"When the two halves bond together on the bed of Fjörgyn under the light of the hidden moon and the hidden dawn, the call shall be made and the primal dusk will crawl from below for the approaching battle with the great being."

Merlin stared with an open mouth, feeling completely dumfounded. It wasn't exactly a new feeling for these cryptic conversations. "That um…that doesn't sound very…I don't think I understand."

"You and Arthur are destined for greatness. Greatness which cannot be achieved without the other."

"Right. Arthur will unite the lands and I will help him. I know that. I don't understand any of the rest. What does it mean?"

"Not all prophecies are written. Many were created in a time before such tools."

A lot of the time he wished the dragon would just give him an answer to the questions he _asked_ but he knew by now how to go about the conversation. "A prophecy?" He took the time to groan and mutter to himself, "Because I don't get enough of those", before brushing back his annoyance from an empty stomach and focusing on what the dragon actually said. He would not have called him without good reason. "So two halves -well that's me and Arthur since it's never not. Bond together –whatever that means –on the bed…bed of...under …"

He wasn't quite sure what Fjörgyn meant but the mention of doing something under a moon and dawn had him flashing back to the hunting trip pretty quickly. But there was no way it was referencing…that kind of bonding…no. But that is exactly when the Great Dragon called. A bed of Fjörgyn? It was rather suggestive. How could he not?

His head snapped up and his face started to heat up hotter than the flames in his hand as the sound of the dragon's laughter started to bounce out quietly over the stones and reach his ears, only getting progressively louder.

"Oh no. No. No! How did you- what are- how- how could you possibly- I don't- what?!"

"It seems your feelings for the young prince have changed since we first met."

"But I- I still don't- How-"

The dragon sobered enough to say, "The call has been made Merlin."

"What call?! I didn't call! Neither of us called!" He was allowed to sound this defensive as great yellow eyes zoned in on his heated face and he could see his flustered reflection in their pupils. "Not that we were doing anything. We weren't doing anything! Not on the bed of Fjörgyn**. **On any bed. Actually. So-"

"Merlin."

There was a purpose to the rest of the prophecy. He could feel embarrassed about everything else later. Why would that even be a part of it anyway? A prophecy that required...that. Right, back to the point. "But I didn't make any sort of call."

"You would not yet be aware of the call sent forward. The eye of a storm has its advantages and disadvantages. In the days of old, a messenger would have provided you with this clarity. I am now that messenger."

"Um…Thanks. I think."

"You and I come from a very powerful magic. One intertwined with the Earth and her offspring. That magic was created out of both the good and the bad. One cannot survive without the other and both come in equal measure, though there is one magic more powerful than any other."

"And that is…"

"Love, Merlin. There are many types and all are powerful. You are yet young, unable to understand your full potential. To complete a prophecy such as you did with a magic that surges through the Earth itself… you needed great power to assist you. It was foretold."

"Right." Everything was foretold with him. Apparently even his developing feelings towards the crowned prince. It made him wonder how much privacy he actually had when people knew more about him than he did. Not that the Great Dragon was a person. Right, back to the point again. "Well who did I call on? You said primal dusk will crawl from below. What does that mean?"

"The creation of magic involved both good and evil. The creators knew they must both exist but the dark too easily bled into the light with no release. Visions came of the damage it would cause so they contained this magic in a being and locked that being in the center of the Earth herself so she could watch over it. For all mothers love their children and she would be no different. Naturally some evil escaped into the world but good was allowed to roam free and it touched all it could. The struggle is as old as time itself though the balance is often thrown."

"I thought magic wasn't good or evil? It depends on how you use it."

"That is true. The good and evil I speak of already existed as it always had and always will. In the creation of magic they were simply ingredients. It is up to the user to sort through the dark and light that exists in their magic. As you have seen."

"So I have both dark and light magic?"

"You have the capacity for both as anyone else, though you were a being created of light, Emrys." Merlin's body flinched and his gaze snapped up at the use of his Druid name. "The primal dusk is a being created of darkness."

"What will it do when it crawls out of the earth?"

"Chaos. Destruction. These are the things it feeds on. You and Arthur are destined to create a world of peace. It would wish to destroy that possibility and you along with it."

"In the battle?"

"Correct, young warlock."

All of these prophecies and things foretold and visions and magic and destiny and all other things out of his control were really getting out of hand. This sounded almost too ridiculous to deal with when he was so tired. He and Arthur '_bonded_' under the moon and dawn and that meant he called up a giant ball of evil? On top of that it was for a battle between that ball and he and Arthur?

Alright that made sense. It seemed the entire world was prepared to make an attempt on Arthur's life. This shouldn't have been such a shock. Still, this seemed massive. Far too massive for something done out of innocence or love or whatever. It was a mistake! A happy one but still a mistake.

"But that doesn't make sense. We're not ready. Arthur is still prince. Uther still lives. Why would it come now?"

"Because you called."

"I didn't mean to!"

"You would not have been able to call if you were not ready."

"So how much time do we have? Where will it come?"

"The prophecy does not tell all."

"How am I supposed to tell him about this?"

"That is up to you to decide."

"Great."

"Take heed. You can only return the balance with Arthur's aid. You and Arthur share a bond that creates the great being. Any weakness in your bond will be exploited and you will fail. If you do fail, the world will be thrown into constant chaos and Albion will never be created."

As was always the consequence of his failing -Albion never being created.

He ran a hand over his face in an attempt to make sure he was not dreaming this conversation. "I'm not ready for this."

"The magic of the old religion believes you are. Remember, none of us can choose our destiny and none of us can escape it. Arthur and yourself included."

"Yeah I remember."

"One cannot survive without the other." The dragon spread its wings and pushed off his rock, his chain dangling from his leg, as he flew up and called back to the boy. "I wish you luck."

* * *

"And that was all he told you?" Gaius asked Merlin.

He had given in and slept after coming back from the dragon. Actually he had tried to sleep but first chanted that prophecy to himself about a thousand times so he would remember all the dragon said. But he brought it to Gaius' attention right away the next day. This wasn't something he could deal with himself and he hoped now that Gaius knew about his talks with the dragon he would be able to figure it out with him.

"Yes. That's it."

"What does it mean bond? How did you and Arthur bond? It sounds like a ritual."

"Um…" He could feel his face heating up again so he shrugged a bit too enthusiastically and bit out a far too big smile. "I don't know. I'm sure that doesn't matter."

"Every bit matters." Gaius raised a brow at the boy's attitude but decided to simply move on with his thoughts as they continued to eat their breakfast. "It sounds as though you have a great challenge ahead of you."

"That's what worries me." He scrunched up his nose, trying for a countless time to make sense of the being described. "_Primal dusk._ It doesn't sound like much more than a shadow but I have a feeling it will be something more."

"Yes. I don't like the sound of that either. "

"But what if I'm not ready? I didn't know about the prophecy. Arthur doesn't know about anything. How could we possibly fight something this big without him finding out? I mean, I'm not ready. Look at what just happened when I used my magic. I cannot do that again. Not to you, not to anyone."

Gaius frowned when Merlin chucked his food back to his bowl, his worry preventing him from taking another bite. He had seen this boy take on too much to have such little confidence. Though, he did agree the scale of this prophecy surpassed anything he had faced before.

"You have faced many foes in the past and you have learned from that. You and Arthur are destined to work together and, that being said, you will. You already have, many times, whether he was aware of that or not." He reached across the table and shook the boy's arm, trying at least to get him to look up from his feet. "I have confidence that you will figure this out."

"I wish I shared that confidence."

"You'll be fine." He smiled and gestured towards his food, staring sternly until Merlin started eating again. "In the meantime, see if you can sweep up this room for me."

Merlin smiled to his food. It was always save Arthur, save Albion, and clean up. That was his job description.

* * *

"Merlin!"

"Sorry."

It had been weeks since Merlin's talk with the dragon. Nothing had happened and he hadn't been called back down for another chat so he simply lived his life like normal. Practicing his magic in secret –now extra vigilant and cautious-, helping Gaius in his shop, reading books to help him understand what the Great Dragon said, and helping out his prat of a prince with everything that was asked of him. Oh and some things that weren't asked. Things that Merlin actually enjoyed a lot even if the sneaking around sill made him more stressed on top of his worry about the primal dark being crawling up from the center of the earth. He could handle it though. Most days…

"I asked you, no I told you to clean this shirt for me at least five times!" Arthur was on a rampage, holding up one of his shirts and shoving it in Merlin's face. "And what is this? Go on. What is it?"

"A stain."

"A stain! And it was your job to get it out and now I have nothing to wear. Five times! Do you just not listen when I talk to you? Are you deaf? What is wrong with you? You idiot!"

Merlin looked down at the floor so he could roll his eyes undetected and mumble under his breath, "Love you too sire."

Arthur stopped pacing right away, spinning and facing his servant. "What was that?"

"Nothing." He smiled but it was terribly fake.

"No. Come on." Arthur chucked the shirt away and turned back with hands on his hips. "What?"

"Nothing," Arthur kept giving him squinty eyes so he spoke through his teeth adding on, "-you prat."

Arthur's anger fell away instantly and a smile broke out on his face. Why they ever thought using idiot and prat as ways of expressing love was a good idea, he would never know. It was hard to tell when they meant one or the other sometimes.

"Alright." He clasped Merlin's shoulder and shook his head, already forgiving Merlin for not listening. He had been rather distracted ever since the hunting trip and Arthur could only guess it had something to do with their new arrangement, something he was still getting used to. He could understand. "I'm sorry. You know I just don't like these kinds of events."

The event was a celebration for Morgana on her birthday. It wasn't as big a celebration as Arthur's or the King's but it was still an enjoyable event with guests and entertainers and food.

"That's a lie and we both know it." Merlin smiled up coyly as Arthur turned back to his dresser and started throwing every article he had out of it. He rolled his eyes at the sight, knowing he would have to clean it all up later. "You like these events when they're for you."

Arthur apparently didn't hear his ramblings from inside the cupboard. "I am not going if I am stuck wearing a shirt with a great big stain on it." He threw whatever shirt he had around the door and straight into Merlin's face.

"That's more like it." He caught the shirt and chucked it with the others, blinking and picking up the one closest to him and holding it out. "Why don't you wear the blue one? It's the same shirt just in a different color."

"I don't like that one."

"Why not?" He sneaked up behind Arthur and held it to his front from behind adding, "It brings out your eyes."

Arthur chuckled darkly and turned in his arms so Merlin could hold it up properly against his front. "Should I be worried about you wanting to do my hair and makeup?"

"Haha. Just wear it."

"Are you telling me what to do again?"

Merlin smirked at his playful tone and stepped in closer, spreading his hands against Arthur's chest and dropping his voice to a seductive whisper. "It'll be worth it if you do."

"Will it?"

"I can show you." Merlin gestured towards the bed with his eyes and the energy starting in his body quickly matched in Arthur's as his eyes blew wide and his brows set.

"Lock the door."

Merlin was quick to obey, throwing the shirt over the cupboard door and jogging to the door of the room. He didn't even go to lock it with his hands, he just let his eyes flash gold and ran back to the bed Arthur was climbing on as fast as he could, joining him from the other side as Arthur was taking his boots off as fast as he could.

"We don't have much time." Arthur reminded him even though he was already quickly kicking off his own shoes.

"Better leave clothes on then." Merlin shot him a kinky wink and sucked in a breath when Arthur's tongue darted out to lick his lip.

They both climb on the bed fast, still messy from that morning. Arthur suddenly grabbed Merlin's face while he was still trying to mess with the ties on his boots, only managing to get one off before stumbling forward and meeting his prince's mouth. They clashed together fast and fell onto the pillows without even making their mouths meet properly.

As soon as they were down Merlin forgot about his boot and Arthur just pulled him close, moving his mouth as quick as he could to keep pace. Their hearts pounded fast and their breaths caught as they pulled their hips together.

Arthur grabbed at Merlin's waist first, pulling his head up to double check the door. Merlin pushed his head under his lifted neck and snuck in a bite, sure not to leave any visible marks that would become a topic of conversation at the feast. Arthur sucked in an audible breath between his teeth when he felt Merlin start to suck in his skin and felt his tongue circle forward against his stubble causing his hands to grip a little tighter and bring him just a little closer.

Merlin was first to roll his hips up and both moaned as a tremor pulsed out from their cores and made their toes curl with excitement. Arthur tipped his head back and nudged Merlin's lips back into his own as his thumbs tucked under Merlin's trousers and pulled them down to his knees, sure to graze a hand against his member on the way back up.

"Oil." Arthur muttered, more commanded, against Merlin's mouth and he was happy to spin on his side and reach over to the night stand where he opened the drawer and pulled the jar out. They were really starting to run low on the stuff.

Arthur came up behind him and started to suck on his ear, a hand running over the front of his shirt and slipping to the bare skin, following the patch of hair leading down from his belly button as he wrapped a hand around his cock, pulling with quick short tugs that had Merlin rutting into his back. Merlin gripped the only thing in his hands as Arthur continued, glancing at the door when he could manage to open his eyes just to double check. The thrill of getting caught never really left with them.

His eyes smacked shut again when Arthur let him go and fumbled behind his back, only moments later realizing he had pushed his trousers down as well and the heat he felt before was nothing compared to the erection pulsing against his exposed lower back. Arthur groaned as he pulled Merlin in with his arm, pushing up against the bare of his back and nuzzling his mouth into the boy's hair, his breath hot and panting against his head.

Merlin wordlessly passed the jar of oil back and pushed his trousers down a bit more, kicking off his other boot, when he felt Arthur pull back from him.

"Will you be okay if I just-"

"Yes, yes." He was still open from that morning's fun. They were really bad at keeping their hands to themselves. Especially on days where Arthur had no training to occupy his morning. "Just do it."

"Needy."

Merlin rolled his eyes and quickly flipped around stealing the jar back and closing it before putting it back in its place and closing the drawer. When he pushed back again he felt his body jump as a slippery hand grazed his middle and a slippery cock grazed his entrance. Without needing to ask Arthur started to push in. He slid in easy and that had them both gasping for air as their mouths opened in pleasure. Merlin was trying to pace his body, gripping onto the bed and Arthur's arm, as Arthur was losing his grip on Merlin's middle and pushing up slowly.

They both looked at the door at the same time when they thought they heard a knock, shock jumping through their bodies and an audible gasp escaping from each of their mouths. Apparently it was just someone passing because there was no other noise. They waited a few more moments, just laying there with Arthur inside Merlin and no sure way of a logical explanation, before looking at each other and nodding in silent agreement. They needed to go faster.

Arthur pushed in and Merlin ground down at the same time until they couldn't push any more, part of it having to do with the lack of mobility in Merlin's clothing still trapping his legs together. That didn't stop them from picking up the pace as Arthur thrust back and in again making Merlin have to turn his mouth into the other boy's arm so he could stop his moans from escaping him.

The pace only got faster from there until Arthur was plowing into him and Merlin was meeting him with every rock. It felt so wrong to have so many layers on. Merlin couldn't open up as much as he wanted and Arthur was missing that one special spot because of it and they could both feel their shirts riding up and scratching their bodies with every move, their skin only just touching but not nearly enough. It felt wrong but it felt so good.

Merlin left some good red teeth marks in Arthur's bicep before checking the door a final time and lowering his hand to his own cock, refusing to let himself last much longer. Arthur gritted his teeth having no place to latch down on Merlin with his shirt on and his grunting came out louder and louder as his body started to quake. Merlin couldn't stop the moans now and Arthur had to smash a hand over his mouth just to keep him from screaming out, making his body bend back oddly and oh god he just hit that spot and his hand was moving so fast against his member and he felt the pleasure roll out in tidal waves as he came over the bed. Arthur pulled down on Merlin harder, his head bumping into his shoulder, his arm getting tired from holding his mouth closed. Still just one more thrust, two more, and Merlin's body closing around him was just too much. He was too hot and too tight and he exploded a few seconds later, a final moan leaving him and floating right into Merlin's ear as his body collapsed in the sudden full body sensation.

They only took a few moments to catch their breath before Arthur lifted his hand from his mouth and patted his arse with the other, pulling slow until he was out completely, falling onto his back. Merlin was up quick, ignoring the part of him that felt rather sticky now, and pulled up his trousers.

"So the blue one it is." Merlin smiled as he tossed the shirt over Arthur's still exposed body. He just groaned and ignored it, letting it cover his face. "Arthur-"

"Can't I just sleep?" His voice sounded both muffled and pathetic from under the fabric. "Just for a little bit?"

"No." Merlin chuckled and took pity on him, leaning over his body to fix up his clothes. Arthur just lay there and let him pull up his trousers and pull off his shirt, flopping back onto the bed with no intention of helping him put the blue one on. "Come on Arthur."

Arthur ignored him and instead of reaching for the shirt he reached for Merlin, "Come here you idiot." He pulled both of them down into a hug and refused to let go when the boy started to struggle, only holding him closer and using his head as a pillow as he laughed and gave in, snuggling up to his prince's side.

"Prat." He stayed and let Arthur close his eyes for a few moments before deciding to talk again, half only to make sure he was still awake. "Can I say something without you laughing?"

"Perhaps." Arthur sighed onto his head, rubbing his mouth against his temple and putting his chin back on top. "But I make no promises."

"I don't want to be there tonight." He sighed again, starting to run a hand over Arthur's chest and watching the goosebumps that trailed his finger. "When they start dancing, all the people throwing themselves at you while I fill your glass."

"You know you have nothing to worry about." Arthur wrapped his hand around him tighter, running a hand over the back of his shirt, still sticking to his skin from the sweat of the quick session they just had together.

"I just wish for things I can't have sometimes." He actually wished for that a lot of the time. There were a lot of things he wished he could have that he knew wouldn't happen. At least not any time soon. "Maybe one day."

"I'll tell you what." Arthur dipped back into the pillows and waited for Merlin to catch his eyes. "I promise you one dance."

"You're joking."

"Well not _at_ the dance. You'd be executed for sure. I'll just owe you."

"Owe me?"

"One dance."

"That settles it. You are so a girl."

"You are the one that wants to dance with me!"

"I never said that. You just thought it. Therefore, girl."

Arthur had him flipped on his back -his arms pinned to the side- in a flash. Already they could both feel the hormones kicking back in with thoughts of where this could lead – though knowing it couldn't – popping into their minds. "If I had time you would be begging for your life right now."

"But you don't so you better put on that shirt." Merlin gestured towards the shirt stuck between their bodies, making another gesture towards his arm. "It'll cover up that mark real nice."

"_Mer_lin." Arthur groaned and he laughed as he pecked him on the head and rolled over, Merlin only getting one last look before Arthur's bare skin was covered in blue.

* * *

The celebration went well enough. There were only a few awkward moments shared when Merlin or Arthur would make a joke about wrestling, bringing up old memories and new blushes. It was only after Arthur was tucked away in bed, a few stolen kisses given, that Merlin's happiness turned to concern.

It was part of his duties to help clean the mess from the party and that was where he overheard one of the many straggling guests say something that caught his attention.

"I haven't seen anything like it."

"And where did you say this was?"

"Far from here my friend." Merlin didn't recognize the man talking or his friend but it was their hushed and rushed whispers that had him listening in. "I cannot find a way to put it in words. Such creatures have never existed to my knowledge."

"What was its likeness?"

"It slithered from the ground like a snake but it had no such form. It appeared to be made of rock though I've never seen a rock like this."

"Living rock?"

"There's more. It grew in size and shifted into the largest fox I've ever seen. It had no face, no eyes, though I could feel it looking at me."

"What did you do?"

"I ran! Or I tell you I would not be sitting here today. I warned the people but when we came back for it, it was gone with no trail. They called me crazy, they did. Laughed at me for my age. But I know what I saw."

"I believe you."

"It wasn't only the sight that had me running. It was the feel. Looking at this creature…it was like every bad memory I have ever had, every pain I've ever suffered, was brought to the forefront of my mind. Never have I felt such pain and anger as I have looking at that creature. A part of me hopes I did make it up. I wish for no one to encounter it ever again. It felt like pure darkness."

Uh-oh. Merlin left the room wide-eyed and headed straight back for his chambers. _The primal dusk shall crawl from below for the approaching battle with the great being. _It sounded like a certain prophecy was coming true. It could have been coincidence, maybe this man really was insane and just saying something about darkness was by accident, but it didn't feel that way in his gut. He knew something was wrong and he needed to look it up in his books and talk to Gaius because it sounded like that thing was crawling up to fight with the great being.

Only that great being wasn't exactly ready yet. Or part of it wasn't. They were two halves and one half didn't know a thing about it. Or all the secrets the other half had. That creature did not sound good and to have to go up against it meant surely it would be a challenge to keep it that way.

Things were about to get really complicated.


	2. Out of the Frying Pan

"Arthur." Merlin stood in the threshold with his hands curling around each other, a tooth stuck biting his lip, and his foot tapping on the ground. "I have something to tell you..."

"What is it Merlin?"

"It's not going to be easy. I'm not sure you'll understand."

"What is it?"

"It's just…"

"Just...?"

"Well..."

"Well what Merlin? Just tell me."

"That armor makes you look fat."

Merlin was running for the door before Arthur could throw his sword or something else just as violently pointy at him. He was sure he would pay for that comment at training somehow but he was just going to hide behind the knights until Arthur called him out. They were usually pretty understanding. And big. Big was a good thing. They were like an impenetrable mini-man wall.

After hearing about the odd creature described by the stranger, Merlin had a talk with Gaius. He was just as clueless as Merlin was about the thing which led to many days of researching the possibilities. In the end they came up with nothing. Absolutely nothing.

For all he knew the stranger really was insane and that's why there was no record to be found. That odd feeling he got when the man talked never left his gut though. Something was wrong and he knew it. He would just handle this like he always had. Alone. He wasn't about to tell Arthur about it without proof or well…anything really.

That uneasy feeling became justified when the prince was called out to see the king.

Arthur decided that Merlin's punishment would be dueling practice. Whichever knight could disarm and knock Merlin down with the least amount of blows won while the rest would have to run laps around the castle. Merlin was sparring Percival -if it could be called sparring with how terrible he was- when a messenger came to tell Arthur he was summoned- much to Merlin's short lived relief. The knights really could throw a good punch

"Father wants to see me now? He knows we're in the middle of training."

"He did say it was urgent Sire."

"Alright. I'll be right there."

"Did you want me to come with you?" Merlin called to him hopefully, turning around and getting pushed to the ground from behind by Percival as he did so. The knights all chuckled at his loud groan and the small glare he sent them over his shoulder.

"I don't need you with me everywhere Merlin. Stop trying to get out of your duty. Men, continue what you are doing until I return. Sir Leon is in charge." Arthur gathered his things and left Merlin there on the ground. At least he had the decency to laugh after he turned away from his poor manservant.

"My duty-" Merlin grumbled under his breath as he stood to face another knight. He was rather uncomfortable in the armor they put him in and very off balance. He almost managed fall all on his own. Again. "I'll show you my duty."

He didn't really get to show anyone anything before he was knocked down to the ground again.

Arthur still hadn't returned by the end of the session. Leon continued for him, making the men run their laps, and picked up with the rest of training when they were done beating on Merlin. After it was over the knights offered to buy him a drink at the pub but he turned them down so he could find Arthur. It was near dinner and it wouldn't be like him to skip out on that. He was curious about what made Uther call him away all day long. It couldn't be good whatever it was.

That thought of course did nothing to stop Merlin's worries. Not only was he continuously thinking about this giant prophecy looming in the background but also had to worry about his magic, keeping it from Arthur, while at the same time keeping the true relationship he had with the prince a secret from everyone. There was just so much he couldn't tell people. Not even Gaius knew it all.

What if Uther found out? What if that's why Arthur was taking so long? What if someone saw them in the stables the other day?

Luckily, it only took enough time for Merlin to get his food and clean his room before Arthur was walking through the door. He wouldn't be able to hand another round of _what if_ thinking otherwise.

"Oh good Merlin, you're here." Arthur greeted without looking up. "Pack your things. We will be leaving tomorrow."

"Leaving?"

"Yes." He continued to walk into the room, shucking off his armor as he went, and sat in his chair like what he was saying was not completely out of nowhere. "Father has asked me to look into some disturbances in the neighboring kingdoms."

"Disturbances? What kind of disturbances?"

"Creatures...odd creatures. They seem to be made from sorcery and have been terrorizing villagers all over."

Oh no. Magical creatures attacking villagers sounded very much like the thing Merlin was dealing with. Sort of dealing with. And if it was brought to Uther's attention that just meant it was getting worse. But what were these creatures? Were they the subject of the prophecy or something else altogether?

Arthur continued to talk while his thoughts were processing. "I am to make sure these stories are true and determine what kind of threat the creatures pose to the kingdom."

Merlin nodded though his stomach was doing back flips. "So we'll be taking the knights with us then?"

"No. The less the better. As I am sure you are aware -something has to get past that thick skull-" Merlin ignored his sarcastic tone and muttering and instead refilled his goblet while he listened. "Camelot is not welcome in all kingdoms and we do not wish to start a war. It will just be the two of us. My father doesn't want to send anyone he does not trust completely into enemy territory. So I will need some of your clothes. I do not wish for people to know who I am and I will need to dress plainly."

"Just the two of us?" Merlin smiled despite the uneasiness, danger, and insult to his clothes. He waited until Arthur looked up and caught his eyes to wiggle his brows suggestively.

"Don't get excited Merlin." He warned while pointing the fork at him like a weapon. A weapon with cheese on it. "I will not take any of your clinging. This is a simple scouting mission. We will do what is required of us and return."

"Clinging?" He scoffed and turned around to finish making Arthur's bed. "I'm not clingy." Just because he wanted to follow him away from training and because he worried about him all day did not make him clingy. He wasn't even that worried. Not really. Mostly.

"Just make arrangements with Gaius. We could be gone a while."

"You're the clingy one." He was ignored, as per usual, left to finish his chores and return home.

* * *

"I don't like this. We don't know what we're up against." Merlin paced in front of Gaius, snatching things to stuff in his pack for the trip. He just didn't know what to bring! There was no warning label with this prophecy and that feeling in his gut was not helping his decision making. He had packed and unpacked at least three times and that was just before eating. "I don't have time to research these beings when he wants to leave in the morning and it's not like I can bring the books with me."

"You know more than you would normally in a situation like this for the two of you. I doubt any attempt you made now would make any difference."

"Thanks Gaius."

"I just meant that you have already done so much." Gaius spun around, trying to keep up with Merlin pacing all about the place. "The Dragon said the prophecy came from a time before the written word. Perhaps this beast does as well."

"And yet you let me read all those books anyway?" Merlin spun to face his elder who was trying not to smile by pretending to putt around with their dirty dishes. "How long were you thinking this?"

"Reading is good for you Merlin."

"Mhmm." He chuckled as he reached for extra supplies Gaius kept that would help if either of them were sick or injured. It was a good bonus to have, living with and training with a physician. He just hoped he would not have to use it in these travels. "Well I don't know what I'm going to do if we come up against these creatures. My magic is improving but I haven't a clue how to use it."

His eyes dropped down to the book he pulled away to get access to the rosemary. A book he knew so well, by heart even, yet couldn't seem to put down. If Arthur were to find it…he couldn't be sure of what would happen. It was a book of magic after all. Still…he was going very far into the unknown.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Gaius asked with a raised brow as Merlin slid the book into his bag.

"I may need it."

"If the prince finds that-"

"I know."

"Alright. Whatever you think is best. Just get yourself to bed. You'll need all the rest you can get."

"Thanks Gaius. I'll see you in the morning." Merlin smiled and gladly shut himself in his room, throwing his body on the bed and staring up at the ceiling. He would finish packing tomorrow and sleep for now.

Only, sleep wasn't going to come anytime soon. There was just too much to think about. Mostly it was just every overwhelming feeling he'd had since his talk with the Dragon but part of those thoughts were about being alone with Arthur for an extended period of time. Gods it would be infuriating, just the two of them. Of course it would be the good kind of infuriating. Just the two of them…alone in the woods...again. Merlin could feel his throat start to dry and his muscles start to twitch as his blood ran south from not-too-distant memories.

With a peek at the door he decided Gaius was going to let him be and he could reach down and push his clothes off his hips without worry. With a sigh he fell back against his pillows and closed his eyes in the dark picturing Arthur. There he was, waiting for him somewhere in the middle of a field. Why a field? It didn't matter, he was too distracted by the sight of the sunny day and the gorgeous man to care. The grass was tall but his body was bare and the closer he came the more was revealed.

The grass tickled Merlin's hips as he waited for Arthur to get close. With a smirk and a twinkle in those blue eyes Arthur knelt before him and wrapped a hand over his hip, down his stomach, and directly around his member. His rough hand grabbed him tight and strong, pulling the pleasurable feelings to the top of his mind with a single hard stroke. With eyes half closed Merlin watched as he curled his fingers around and tilted his wrist up and dragged those constricting digits to the edge of his head bringing Merlin to the edge of a gasp.

The smirk coming from the blonde beneath him was enough to will him to go faster as his face flushed and the heat pooled in his stomach. All it took was that look and Arthur was obliging to his silent wish, his fingers rolling back as his palm slipped around his head and folded around his shaft, pumping the jittery waves of pleasure straight to his toes. Those strokes continued to make Merlin's eyes roll back in his head, his hands grasping the tall grass and the blonde's hair until he had them both in a harsh but necessary grip so he could stay standing on his own two feet.

A moan escaped his lips as Arthur flicked his tongue past his, out over his head, up his slit, and down the center of his shaft. Another pass up and Arthur opened his mouth to him, taking in the first few inches, teasing, playing, and causing his body to move with every small pull his hands made. Then he engulfed him all.

One swipe down and his lips were nudging the base of his erection, his nose pressing into his stomach. The pressure increased to double as his head pulled back and his cheeks hollowed out. Gods, it was impossible how fast he could move his mouth like that. Every flash of gold from Arthur's head bobbing brought another thrill through is body and soon he was snapping the grass from the ground in chunks as the pleasure climbed higher and higher and Arthur's nails bit into his thighs and his cock hit the back of this throat and he just couldn't take it anymore. One more lap of Arthur's rough tongue pulling over shaft, his soft head rubbing against the ribbing in his throat, and he felt the heat build too much and he was coming with a groan.

Merlin blinked his eyes open to come face to face with the ceiling and a sticky hand.

They really needed to watch that while they were traveling. They didn't need to fulfill another prophecy again.

* * *

The next morning Merlin ate and prepared the horses, waiting for his royal laziness to slump out of bed and meet him. Merlin couldn't help but smile when he saw him coming down the stairs wearing his 'civilian' clothes. It was one of his shirts that had him grinning from ear to ear. He couldn't explain it but seeing him in his clothes sent a tiny thrill through him that he was all too interested in following. He couldn't wait for their first night out around the campfire together.

Arthur just glared at him. He never was a morning person.

"Morning Sire." Merlin greeted with a smile.

"Mmm." Arthur groaned and passed Merlin his things so he could strap them onto his horse.

"Have a good night's rest?" Merlin asked while loading the horse. Well, he was hiding behind the horse. Arthur would kick him if he had the chance just for asking about his sleep. Sure enough, Arthur moved around the horse just so he could glare at him properly. Followed promptly by a tongue licking out across his bottom lip and a heated gaze crawling down Merlin's body.

"What?" Merlin asked, feeling semi-self-conscious. His new purple shirt looked good but there was no way Arthur was checking that out. He wouldn't notice. Alright, it was getting weird. Did he have something on him?

"I had quite the interesting dream."

Merlin leaned back as Arthur crowded him with a accusatory stare and joked, "Naked in the royal court?"

Arthur shook his head. "You and I were in a field."

"A field?" Merlin gulped. Did he accidentally throw some magic into his fantasy last night? Arthur quickly grabbed a handful of Merlin's ass while walking right past him and towards the other side of his horse. Oops.

"What happened?" Merlin teased, standing tall so Arthur could see his suggestive smirk over the saddle.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you." Arthur returned that smirk while adjusting his sword to its hilt.

"Will you show me?"

"Perhaps." Merlin grinned down at the ground as his face burned tomato red. He could actually feel it in his ears as memories of the imagery he conjured up came to mind. Blonde hair, blue eyes, mouth full. "If you behave."

"Yes Sire." He teased back.

There wasn't much else to do but ride the day away. They had a very far way to travel all the way up to North Umbria. Through Mercia, Deira, Rheged, and of course Elmet was in the middle of it all. Also known as 'The Perilous Lands'. And while they were 'the perilous lands', people of Camelot weren't exactly welcome everywhere so danger lurked in every kingdom.

It was a long time to travel and for the first few days it was fairly uneventful. There was a lot of talking, shutting up, fighting, making up, and 'bonding' by the campfire. At least the world didn't end because of it. Both of theirs were just rocked.

It was their last night in the realm of Camelot and Arthur decided to lead them to a pub he knew on the outskirts of the kingdom. It was a rowdy place, just as Merlin expected, with bunches of men singing drinking songs and woman joining in while shouting and dancing. Arthur grabbed them a table while Merlin grabbed them food and drinks, as if it would be any other way even if Arthur was pretending to be a 'normal' person. That was an argument they had in plenty.

"Because normal people don't order other people around!"

"But you are my servant."

"Apples!"

"What?"

"Apples. Now."

"But no one is even here! We're in the middle of the woods, where am I supposed to go?!"

"I don't care just apples."

"You know, I kind of like it when you get worked up like this. Maybe we should find some whiskey instead."

"Whiskey?"

"Whiskey." Arthur strode next to him and laced a distracting hand through the bottom of his shirt.

"Whiskey."

The argument died pretty quick after that. So, there was Merlin getting Arthur his food and drink just like he said he wouldn't do. He really needed to stop letting him distract him from his very good points like that. He would just have to get him back later. Only, they wouldn't have time for that.

A few bites into the meal they bought and there was a man running into the bar, screaming louder than the rest.

"They're burning down the village! Get out! They won't stop for anything!"

"Calm down." Arthur was first to jump forward and make his presence known, standing noble and tall. "Who are they?"

"Creatures sir. Creatures as high as a horse made of the fire it breathes."

"Men!" Arthur turned and yelled over the muttering happening by the instant hysteria. "Grab weapons and water. As much as you can carry. You priority is to stop the creatures. A group of you shall evacuate the town. Make sure the women and children get to safety then come to help put out the fires."

"Arthur." Merlin stage whispered and shimmied up to his side as the mob started to follow his orders.

"What?"

"Just reminding you who you are."

"These are my people Merlin."

"I'm not saying don't help them. I'm just saying be careful." Merlin added with a smile, "You prat."

"Idiot. Let's go."

Arthur led the way outside where they saw the horse-like creatures burning through the streets. They looked to be normal horses -if they were not on fire and shooting the flames from their mains, tail, and mouth. One came cantering right in front of them as they ran and Merlin had to fall back to the ground in order to avoid it. He was staring at the burn marks in the dirt when Arthur yelled, "Get up you moron!"

He scrambled to his feet and followed Arthur to the horses, each pulling out a sword though they both knew it was pretty pointless in Merlin's case. Actually, "How are we supposed to fight horses on fire with swords?!"

"I'll listen to any bright ideas you have!"

They both knew that wasn't true but both started to run back out onto the streets. The night was paved in a glow of orange and red, the air filled with smoke and screams. Men and women alike were chucking buckets of water onto houses, lines to pass the buckets along forming down the street, bending and breaking as the horses continued to charge and attack. There had to be at least five of them. It was hard to tell since they blended in with the scene.

"Stop gaping and move!" Arthur yelled at him so he gripped his sword a bit tighter, ran out and charged with the prince towards the nearest horse, its eyes glowing harshly as it stomped towards them.

Arthur swung his sword out with harsh accuracy, sending the blade directly for the creature's neck. Instead of cutting through the flesh, there was a large clang and the metal bounced back from the attack as the creature charged forward. Arthur and Merlin shared a terrified -_what now?- _glance before the horse came charging back, this time sending a column of fire in their direction. They both ran from the fire breather until they reached a house untouched by the flames and jumped behind.

"What are we supposed to do?" Arthur yelled to his sword, looking over his shoulder and around the house to see if the creature followed. It was busy attacking other houses so he turned to Merlin who was just as clueless. If only they had Arthur's true sword, that which could kill anything dead or alive. Excalibur was still stuck at the bottom of that lake. . . and he was just thinking of this now?!

"What about water?" Merlin chucked the idea out. "They're made of fire, maybe water puts them out."

"Yes Merlin, I'm not an idiot. How do you throw water at something moving as fast as they are?"

"I have an idea."

They both ran and collected any volunteers they could find and as many shields and whips as they could muster. The farmers were well versed in how to corral creatures and though it took time and the flames had injured many they were able to direct the horses into the same area. They were horses after all and responded to the same type of treatment. They did lash out but the shields were used to block their fire, causing more than one to earn burns from the heat, everyone already sweating from the exertion they were putting forth.

"Now!" Arthur cried out and others positioned behind the shield bearers started to chuck the water on the horses running in mad circles. They cried out when splashed but it wasn't enough to stop them. Merlin watched from behind his shield and cursed in his mind as another creature came stampeding directly for the man at his side.

Arthur raised his whip with trepidation as a villager came with a bucket from behind. It was like second instinct as the water was thrown and Merlin used the shield to block his eyes and mouth as he whispered the words that he remembered from his book. It was nothing more than a freezing spell but his gut told him it was the one to use. It was speaking to him a lot lately and he would not ignore it.

It was correct, for when the water came into contact with the creature's skin it reared to its hind legs in a whinny and promptly fell to the ground, the flames having disappeared and the body of a natural horse left behind. Merlin looked to Arthur who was grinning at him and they both cheered in victory.

Their attention was quickly drawn to the others as more water was thrown and Merlin used Arthur's distracted state to repeat the spell over and over again until every horse was on the ground and every flame had disappeared from their bodies. Soon the civilians turned to the town and the assembly line of water was utilized until every last flame had been put to rest.

Arthur found and pulled the man who had been screaming in the pub in the first place away and handed him a small handkerchief with the Pendragon crest embroidered into it. "Take this. Get someone to ride to the castle and hand this to the king. Tell him what happened here and tell him to send help. Tell him Arthur is well and he is going to find the source and stop it."

The man's eyes widened as he took the token and nodded. "Yes Sire. Right away."

"So much for not letting them know who you are." Merlin mumbled as he proudly wiped the sweat and dirt from his face. It was a miracle neither of them were harmed by the flames and that show of magic was quite good if he did say so himself. If only Arthur knew about it.

"It's just one man. Besides, these people need help and we will not be here to help them."

"We're not going back for help then?"

"No. It would take too much time. We've already come this far. The best thing for us to do is to find where this is coming from. To do that we must follow the original report. Our plans have not changed."

"Alright. Let's go then. I doubt we'll find a place to sleep here."

"You know," Arthur started following, rolling his shoulders as they walked. "I think I might make rubbing my back part of your job description."

"Oh yes. We can put it right next to things that will never happen and things that will only happen if you do them too."

"Don't be such a baby."

"I'm not the one complaining about my shoulder." Arthur pulled back an arm and thwacked him across the top of his back. "Ow!"

"Now you are."

Merlin glared at him while rubbing his shoulder but Arthur was grinning with his hair all messy and something playful in his eyes. Even after all of that fighting and sweating he could still find a way to look absolutely perfect.

"You were really brave out there." Merlin smiled at Arthur's skeptical look.

"They were just horses Merlin."

"I mean it. You were really amazing." Merlin looked behind him quick before reaching out and grasping his hand squeezing it in his as they walked. "I love you."

"I love you too." Arthur smiled and squeezed it back before they both dropped them away for fear of being seen by someone who knew who Arthur was. "Though you weren't nearly as brave as I was."

"I was too!"

"Oh you were hiding behind your shield the entire time!"

"So were you!"

"But I did it much better."

"You are just such a clot pole."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."


	3. Sucked In

Their travels through Mercia went quite well with no attacks from mutated stone foxes or other horses on fire. In fact, it was fairly uneventful. The biggest highlight for them was Arthur's prize deer from one of his hunting excursions. Oh, and no one realizing Arthur was in fact Prince Arthur. It helped that they hadn't run in with many people along the way. So, yes, fairly uneventful.

Merlin did get a chance to learn more about what Uther had told Arthur. There were tails of giant winged reptiles, water that manifested into a living being, shadows that moved, animals behaving strangely, among other things. It all lead back up to the north but not without a trail of chaos and destruction left behind. Everyone seemed to have an opinion of the origin of these unnatural occurrences and the purpose behind the damage they caused. It all led to panic and misled accusations. There were many fights breaking out everywhere, robbers on the loose, and the casualty rate was on the rise.

The path to danger was a long one ahead of them and "The Perilous Lands" were next. It was the longest stretch of kingdom and the worst. They not only had to avoid the natural barriers, such as the sinking sands of the Red Forest –where the ground would quite literally suck anyone up into it-, or the poison smog of the Hidden Valley –where one deep breath could kill any man no matter what size-, or the rabid cougars of the Western Caves –famed for their unnaturally large teeth-, but they also had to be aware of the runaways. Since the lands of Elmet were so...perilous...people often ran there to hide from their enemies. It was the perfect place for murderers, thieves, bandits, and, of course, sorcerers. It was a fact Merlin was all too aware of and he hoped that they would not run into anyone, especially a sorcerer who could accidentally reveal something about him to Arthur.

It was their final night in Mercia and they were tucked away in their make-shift shelter, hiding themselves from the rain that seemed to relentlessly fall. Since they left, it had been either raining or overcast and that dreary weather seemed quite ominous with where they were heading. Merlin's dream did not really help with that feeling either.

He dreamt they were back in Camelot, safely home in the castle with no prophecy looming over their heads. It was raining there too but it was much less solemn. They were in Arthur's room, sharing a meal in front of the fire, when the screeching started. It was all around, a high-pitched wail that sounded at every corner, with seemingly no origin. Then they looked up and saw the creatures. They looked like old women in nature but they were deformed. They had long snarly hair falling from their wrinkled and scaly faces, their eyes completely white, their bodies twisted in unnatural ways, their heads fully turned around, their elbows bending at awkward angles, and their lips cracked beyond repair. From behind those lips sounded that shriek and it was so ferociously unnerving that the scene around them started to quiver, the entire room shaking shaking with it.

With a blink of an eye, the banshees were gone but they were no longer in Arthur's room. They were in a field, much like the field Merlin fantasized about not long before. Shrouding it were the dark clouds that followed them, a heavy rain that fell in sheets of white covering the scene.

When Merlin looked at Arthur this time he didn't see the seductive smile of his teasing partner walking closer. This time he saw Arthur slinking closer, his body holding much more malice, as he sized Merlin up. Only when he got close enough did Merlin see his eyes change. They were slits, like those of the Great Dragon, only instead of a golden yellow they were an unearthly blue hidden behind a dull white cloudy cover, similar to the banshees'. The color made him look distant, as if he was not truly the one looking at Merlin.

"Arthur? Are you alright?"

Arthur did not answer his question. He simply smiled roguishly and turned away, walking into the storm that had shifted darker, producing thunder and lightning.

It was as if all the lights had been turned off. Merlin tried to walk after Arthur but the lightning was his only guide and he was losing him.

"Arthur! Arthur stop! Where are you going?! Arthur!"

His calls were pointless as the thunder roared over everything. All Merlin knew was that he had to get Arthur back. He had to stop him from going into the storm. It wasn't safe! They needed to be together. They needed to finish their quest together. It was only possible if they were together.

"Arthur!"

With a crack, Merlin clapped his hands together and his magic shone a big bright light into the sky. In that exact moment he could see Arthur turning back to him and freeze as he was struck by one of the lightning bolts shooting down from the sky. Merlin screamed as Arthur's body fell to the ground after the light had left him, the horrid smell of burnt flesh filling the air. Merlin ran over to see if he was all right but he wasn't there. He couldn't find him anywhere. He moved the tall grass out of the way and started to panic as he ripped it from the ground but he could see nothing more. There was no more lightening and no matter how many times he clapped, no light would come from his magic again.

"Arthur!" Merlin screamed into the dark.

Through the storm a voice answered, sounding similar to Arthur's but wrong and mutated, as if someone took it out of him to borrow, a hidden layer gurgling from beneath. "Light and dark." Another burst of lightning exploded in the sky and Merlin spun as the grass burned around him leaving nothing but a field of ashes behind. "One cannot survive without the other. So what will you do Emrys? What will you do?" The voice boomed out in a fit of mad laughter as another loud crack of thunder snapped around the lost boy.

With a jump, Merlin woke up and his body rose off the ground in a fit of panic. There was a loud crack as his eyes flashed gold and for a moment he believed it to be another burst of thunder but then he saw the branch falling from a nearby tree and realized he was no longer in the field. Though the sky was dark, there was no storm. It was just his magic that broke the branch from its place on the trunk.

The crash that followed the branch had Arthur stumbling awake, his arm instinctively reaching out, but he snapped up when he felt empty space. "Merlin?" Arthur questioned, looking around. Merlin didn't answer straight away so he had to ask again, this time a bit more worry in his voice. "Merlin?"

"Y-yes." Merlin breathed out with a shutter and slowly slid back down to his spot on the ground as Arthur reached out and ran a hand down the side of his face.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Merlin swallowed, studying the sky to ground himself. "Bad dream."

"What happened?"

"It's nothing."

"No, come on. I won't judge you for being scared of a little flaming horse."

"It's not that."

"What is it?" Merlin silently shook his head, sparing a look over at Arthur who furrowed his brow and studied him for a moment. "It was about me." Merlin wasn't quite sure how he figured that out but he nodded in agreement anyway. "Did something happen? Did I do something? What did I do?"

Merlin found the beginning of the dream leaving him but the feeling it left would not. In fact, the actual actions of the dream had all slipped away. There were small glimpses and just one thing he knew for sure, "You left."

There was something wrong with his eyes...he was walking away...then there was a flash?

"I left?"

"And then you- um." Merlin swallowed again, finding his voice especially thick as the image of that flash crossed his mind again. Arthur was falling...he was chasing him...he was nowhere to be found...he was gone. Merlin's breathing picked up again as his chest compressed from the pain of seeing Arthur fall. "You-" Why couldn't he find him? "Um- you weren't-"

"Oh hey, no. Come here you daft sod." Arthur scoffed, curled a hand over Merlin's body and forced the boy up so he could hold him properly. Merlin's head dipped into Arthur's chest as he started to rub his back and he tucked further into the embrace, trying to make the comfort coming from those strong arms calm him. "I'm not leaving you. I'm not doing any of that. It was just a dream. I'm right here. I'm right here."

Merlin sighed at the pain slipping out of his subconscious and scooted closer to the man wrapping his arms around him. His nose pushed up the soft curve of flesh below his collarbone and he inhaled greatly, taking in the smell of earth and rain mixing in with what always was Arthur. Even having been away from the castle as long as they have, the scent of his bath soap still linger.

The honey and lavender combination was always soothing but with his eyes closed, it was so hard to ignore the broken memory of Arthur falling from playing in his mind again and again. So, he opened them. His eyes were out of focus as they zoomed in on the blurry dip of Arthur's shoulder and it did little to help calm him. The feeling pulling down his chest didn't seem to want to go away as he continued to try and remind himself that it was only a dream. Arthur wasn't going anywhere. He was right next to his side and he wasn't going to leave and they would beat this big primal dusk thing and nothing was going to happen. Everything would be fine. So why could he not get rid of the sinking feeling in his chest?

Arthur seemed to sense the turmoil still rolling around within him and those hands tangled around his body pulled closer, slowing down their pets as one rested on his back and the other slid up into his hair. Light kisses pressed gently on the top of his head, down his temple, until soft lips slid down the stubble of his cheek, curved around the angles of his jaw and met his lips in a quick peck that glued their lips together even after pulling apart. That followed with another kiss that had Merlin wrapping his hands tighter around Arthur's shirt, pulling him just the slightest bit closer before they pulled apart again.

While Merlin held Arthur round the middle, with one hand rested between, and Arthur kept tight by wrapping his hands up in what he could, they parted, just slightly. Just enough to look in each others' eyes. Merlin could see him there this time, there was no question about it, and no memory of dulled blue slits could try to convince him otherwise. Arthur was there, with him, and at least for the moment…everything would be all right because he was there.

Merlin closed his eyes again as he felt Arthur's mouth fall back onto him in a bruising move where Arthur sucked in Merlin's top lip and forced in his bottom, his lip slipping up Merlin's teeth and colliding with his gums. Arthur's hands were scratching into his skin and digging past his clothes but Merlin was quick to do the same as he opened up for him and sucked the misdirected lip between his teeth.

It was as if everything moved in slow motion, their usual drive to hurry and hide forgotten. They had a few hours before they needed to eat and set out for the day. They weren't in the castle and had no worry about getting caught so far away from civilization. They weren't even in their own kingdom, so they really had no reason to worry. They had all the time they could ever need, but they just didn't know what to do with it.

Trying to slow their beating hearts was another problem as the blood pumped through their bodies and swiftly took their willpower. One simple slide of their beings prompted by another kiss caused them to feel the small bulges at their centers pressing into each other and that dilemma was at the forefront of both their minds. They could both feel the others' erection growing and the lust in the air was too thick to ignore.

They had to slow their consumption, pulling at each others' lips with a hunger that aimed to break free with every attempt to suppress it. Every opening of the jaw let slip another silent moan, neither used to allowing their sounds to escape them fully. The kiss pushed back and forth, each swaying with the other, until they remembered their hands.

Arthur was first to pull at Merlin's hair as their kissing had jumped from closed mouth tugs to tongues slipping their way past their boundaries. Then came Merlin, who pulled the one hand he had on Arthur's back down to the dip of his lower curve, his other hand still stuck between their bodies pulling on the front of Arthur's shirt.

Arthur slid the hand not locked in black locks over the contours of his partner's body, sliding his fingers gently under the hem of the shirt that snagged with his pass and roughly tugged at the fabric. It caught on the ground beneath them and as Merlin felt the chill of the earth below push against his uncovered skin he tried to inch his body up to help remove the rest but their entwining position made it difficult. It took more than a couple tries for the shirt to make it to his shoulders and then came the challenge of removing it as fast as they could before that hunger reared and Merlin fell back into Arthur again.

Arthur wrapped him up quick, twisting their bodies so he was the only one touching the damp ground, Merlin's heated core more than making up for the temperature change. While blindly throwing his shirt to their side he wrapped his other hand around flesh, curving it back down Merlin's spine and letting his digits tap gently on each vertebrae, sending small jittery sensations through him at the ticklish touch.

Merlin curved to the feeling, twisted his arms to their elbows and slipped his hands into Arthur's shaggy hair, pushing the loose strands away from his face and into his fist. It only took moments for Arthur's hands to curve further south, the tips of his fingers slipping under the fabric covering his legs and dig into the fleshy parts of his arse. The boy's hips bowed down on contact, the sting of Arthur's nails winding the muscles low in his abdomen. They both groaned as the push of friction caught them off guard, a wave of pleasure shooting to the tips their outer limbs, causing a brief pause in their lips pulling at each other for the moment the simultaneous sound escaped them.

Before Merlin could make heads or tails of his position he was flipped onto his back, gently laid down, and released as Arthur bent to his knees and grabbed the hem of his own shirt, sliding it slowly up his body as Merlin's hands raised to follow. Hypnotized, he watched as they slid over the solid muscle hiding under that fabric, dancing up the lines of his side, and over his compact pecks -allowing his fingers just barely to graze over the nipples perking up on his flesh. His hands dropped when Arthur did, Arthur's body sliding down his front, just tickling the heated sensation growing right under the skin with matching warmth that traveled to every inch of his body.

Merlin moved to press his lips to Arthur's but when he curved his neck to meet him he wasn't there. Instead, he felt the wet hot sensation of Arthur's open lips rounding over the top his shoulder, small kisses and nips being placed every few inches. Those lips moved from shoulder to neck to chest and Merlin's body seemed to fade into each swipe, the pleasure peaking with Arthur's hands as they squeezed his body along with every tiny adrenaline spike caused by the small bites. Arthur seemed to be everywhere at once as Merlin closed his eyes to the leaves in the trees and let himself be consumed.

Arthur seemed content with his reaction as he moved lower, now taking in more flesh between teeth than with kisses. His bites continued to travel south, skipping from side to side, his tongue following the path his ribs presented, his teeth latching onto his side as hands held his body off the ground for the access. Merlin curled with every touch and swung with Arthur's hands as they skimmed over him and controlled the desire building just under the surface.

Then, there was no room left to go and Arthur's mouth started catching on the band of Merlin's trousers. With every tug from the tip of his teeth, the fabric pulled the slightest bit from his body and Merlin's hips would rock up to chase that mouth before everything snapped back into place with a tiny sting. Then Arthur tugged the fabric down, just enough so he could take more flesh into his mouth, sliding his trousers down slower with every pass over the other boy's body.

Merlin was squirming and panting by the time Arthur had released any bit of pressure from his erection, only allowing the tip to break through as he made another pass over his abdomen, trailing his teeth across the dips in his hips and sliding his tongue over the bones poking up. Merlin continued to groan and squirm but Arthur's hands held him tight and there was no relief in sight. He could feel the strain of his desire pushing at that fabric to enter the soft wet mouth that kept opening to his skin, Arthur now sucking a bruise into the muscles below his stomach, but it was all in vain. The only sign Arthur gave that showed he knew exactly what part he was ignoring was when he tipped his head up and ever so lightly allowed the tip of his tongue to press a slow and gentle swipe over the slit of Merlin's cock, pulling it back to the point where the velvety skin met fabric again.

It continued in that tantalizing way for a bit as Arthur tugged the fabric down just an inch or two more before nipping his way down another inch of exposed abdomen, his tongue just barely teasing the newly revealed flesh on his erection. By the time Merlin's trousers had passed his hips and his erection was finally bobbing free, licked to the very base, he was a complete wreck.

Every inch of his skin was pink due to the chill of the air meeting the heat of his blood, sucked up by Arthur's lips. His muscles quaked with the unending anticipation and his center shook from being used as the source of his pleasure, wave after wave rolling out. The last lick Arthur left on his erection was still stinging in the cold and the pain of the loss of that heat was distracting to say the least. He just knew Arthur was going to play it slow and agonizing, teasing him until he begged. He also knew he was greedy. Even though he could feel his effect everywhere he needed more of him. Wanted more of him. He would do anything to get it.

"Arthur plea-" So he was surprised when he was cut off by a mouth on his, Arthur having jumped up while his eyes were closed.

Only, by the time Merlin was able to pull his hands off the ground and grab onto the side of the knight atop him, Arthur was already moving back down, continuing his pattern from before, slowly pulling down his trousers while sliding his mouth over one thigh and bouncing to the other. Merlin groaned and dropped his hands back to the ground but Arthur was good at temporarily taking away his impatience by licking a line down his inner thigh and making him shake with more unending need.

Arthur was only satisfied when Merlin lay there completely unclothed and completely covered in marks made from his mouth. That's when Arthur fell forward again, this time letting his mouth land on the one spot Merlin wanted it most.

With bruised and skilled lips, Arthur took up the head of Merlin's erection and slid it past his lips, rolling his mouth over the flesh, and taking him in with slow precision. Merlin gasped and his toes curled as he squeezed all he could from the overflow of tension springing out of his devoured center. Arthur's rough tongue slid along the underside of his cool flesh, rolling it around and warming the skin that rested on it. The other side of his member was equally sensitive as it slid against the ribs of the roof of Arthur's mouth, slowly bouncing against them with the deliberate pull he made. Merlin lost all attempt at composure when Arthur's lips rolled back and he hollowed his cheeks, covering Merlin's cock in a tight, slick heat. The only thing that could make the pleasure more impactful would be if Arthur moved faster, so that was exactly what he did.

Merlin felt a hand grab the bottom of his base and felt Arthur's other arm curl around his thigh and rest at his side but it didn't prepare him for his head bobbing back as hard as it did as he sucked around him. It felt like the world turned sideways and he lost his quiet gasp to a loud whine and then Arthur carefully slid back down, taking as much of him as he could, before pulling quickly back up again. Another loud whine escaped him, his hand clapped to his side, connected with Arthur's arm, and he squeezed him tight. The pace continued fast from then on as Arthur rounded his bobs and curled his tongue in just the way Merlin liked most, circling the underside of his head and grazing the top of his shaft.

Short whines turned to pants and pants turned to moans as each move shook his body and waves of temptation curled out from his middle yet again. He tried to open his eyes once, to see if the world really did turn upside down, but his blurry vision just caught the site of blonde hair shimmering in the small light they had and his head fell back again as another groan escaped him. He could feel the build in his body rising higher and higher. His hips rocked up trying to catch the feeling he sought and his fingers gripped at the coarse patches of stone ridden dirt at his side until they bumped their way back to the toned curves of Arthur's arm who was still gripping tight to the dip of his hips and planting him firmly down, the control his prince showed sending a small thrill of excitement into the mix.

Only then did Arthur pull away to give him an unwanted break, licking his fingers and trailing one down his middle, directly to his entrance. Arthur's mouth returned to slow teasing pulls on his cock as his finger dipped inside, easily passing the loosened muscle. A second finger quickly breeched his body and he prepared himself for the uncomfortable sensation, though his senses were so overloaded by Arthur's mouth he didn't need to concentrate all that hard. A third finger slid inside, slipping up a bit from the lack of lubrication and causing a slight bit of pain to make its way through. Arthur just dipped his head up and down a bit faster when he felt Merlin's nail biting into his arm.

Soon, Merlin was whining again and Arthur let his mouth pop off, landing it back down near the dip in Merlin's hip before quickly nipping and biting his way up his middle to his jaw, to his lips, stealing a few more kisses as his fingers worked him open, panting and near whining himself. Merlin's hands went to help with his trousers but before they could arch past his shoulders Arthur was already doing it himself, kicking them off and jolting his fingers inside Merlin's body as he did so. That was where the first touch of Merlin's pleasure spot inside took place. He jumped at the want that suddenly ran through him and groaned again when he felt Arthur come back over him, finally allowing the heat of every inch of his bare flesh to touch every inch of him.

Arthur's fingers tucked out of Merlin and they slid back up to a spot behind his shoulder as he brought their members together during a hungry but pleasurably languid kiss. It was always best like this, when every single part of them could mingle and brush together with both accidental and purposeful explorations. Merlin's feet would bump against his ankles, Arthur's chest would slide against his side, Merlin's hand would slide over his shoulder blades, Arthur's stubble would scratch against his neck, their foreheads and teeth would clash, and their erections would bounce free. Free to slide against each other or be trapped in the fire they brought out from their contact. Nothing could beat the pure bliss of being this close to someone they loved. Well, there was one thing…

Arthur's jaw scratched against his cheek before the boy's lips pressed against his ear. "Did you want to?"

"Can we try- um- what we tried before?" Merlin swallowed down his lust as he felt Arthur roll on top of him again, a small gasp sucked in between his teeth at the question. In their hurried nights together so far they had only really tried one position for their bodies to take when entwined together. They had only just tired shifting to facing each other before leaving on this adventure.

"It may hurt."

Merlin nodded. It had indeed hurt more than expected for a simple shift like that but he didn't want to lose Arthur to the cold of the night again. "I know."

Arthur silently nodded on top of him and he felt more than saw Arthur lube himself up in preparation. When he had finished, he dropped his hips between Merlin, shifted his arms under his so Merlin could grab ahold of his shoulders, and rested his forehead against the other boy's, whispering a small request before pushing inside. "Let me know if I hurt you."

Merlin nodded and closed his eyes, shifting his legs as he felt Arthur press against him, his skin pulling from the push of Arthur's thick unguided member searching for its access. With a bit more shifting, he opened up for him better and Arthur slid past the first ring of muscle, pausing as Merlin adjusted again by using his grip on Arthur's shoulders to move his body around.

With a small nod that rubbed their foreheads together, Arthur pushed in more and waited patiently as Merlin pulled his legs up, finding the most comfortable position as he felt the thick heat pressing against the walls inside his body. The reality was, he wasn't going to find anything perfect, with the hard ground below him and his body not used to this treatment, and he knew that. He just wanted to be close with the man he loved and chase that perfect feeling of complete intimacy covering every inch of them.

Another nod continued their trial until Arthur was fully encased by him, Merlin's legs curled around the back of his thighs and his hips pulling up from the ground. After a few more moments to settle the nerves in his body, Merlin nodded again and Arthur started to move his body back, his fingers dipping into the curves of the lanky boy's shoulder. Merlin gasped a bit at the fake relief his body received, only to gasp again when he was filled back up, Arthur's grunt sounding out close to his ear.

Pulling back slow again, Arthur shifted his body in a small round of trial and error for Merlin's sake, trying to find that spot within that would send only gasps of pleasure through that mouth. It took a few tires and their fingers were aching with the tension but Arthur and Merlin managed to move in the same way that had them both crying out as a wave of desire crashed over them.

Without more than that pull into each other, they moved together, that sensation hurtling through their systems as they grasped at each other, aiming to get closer than they thought physically possible. Merlin glimpsed up in the movement, captivated by the grimace of pleasure taking over Arthur's features, panting as he too experienced the same sensation. Every push into his body came with the pain of the cold earth on his back, the scrape of Arthur's pounding sending him further into it, the ache of his shoulders from the pull of Arthur's hands slamming him down into his thrusts, the bumps of their heads rutting into each other, the bones of Arthur's shoulders keeping his hands from slipping off the slick skin, his fingers tight from gripping so harshly, his legs aching from bending to stay open, his center splitting from the way he was stretched, and his cock aching from the lack of contact only occurring from accidental brushes when Arthur moved too close. He felt ready to burst and it was absolutely perfect. Every push also brought another pant from Arthur's mouth with the hot breath falling against his ear, the sweet feel of their bodies sliding against one another in desperate unison, the wonderful relaxing feeling that stemmed out to every part of him that somehow made him every bit more tense, the curl in his stomach as Arthur pushed in deeper and bluntly slammed against the spot inside that took over everything in a black out of desire, and the build from all these sensations bundling together in the struggle to get closer.

The air filled with pants, grunts, and slaps and with another rock of his body and Arthur slamming over him, Merlin moved a hand off his shoulder and snuck it between their bodies, his untouched member still overly sensitive from the attention it received earlier coming to life at his palm wrapping around it. All too soon, his hand was batted away as Arthur encircled his hand in its place, moving it in time with his hips and panting out as Merlin curled his neck up and smashed their lips together in a painfully messy and quick kiss.

Their foreheads banged together harshly as Arthur's hand trailed a path over his cock's head and his body rose higher than expected, causing Arthur's member to snap against the desired spot within his body in one mind-blowing instant. He slammed a hand against the back of the other boy's neck and curled his fingers in his hair, closing their bruised foreheads together, as he cried out Arthur's name, looking up for a brief moment to catch Arthur's large dark eyes watching him. It all overflowed and exploded in one spasm that rocked him to his very core as he came between them. Arthur watched in amazement before slamming his eyes shut as his own pleasure overflowed within him, his hips bucking to a still.

Merlin pulled Arthur down just as he was falling and let Arthur's weight sit over him as they caught their breath and returned to themselves. Arthur slid his body off him only to wrap him up again, a hand playing through his hair and scratching his head in a way that made him want to purr. Maybe he was, he couldn't be quite sure when he was that spent. After a few moments, Merlin reopened his eyes to find Arthur looking down at him with a big goofy smile.

"What?" Merlin asked before tracing his hand back over Arthur's arm and watching the small hairs jump out of the way of his fingers, brushing over a few fresh scratches he had accidentally made.

"Nothing. Just," Arthur dropped his head before picking it back up and shrugging. "Just thought I saw something in your eyes is all."

Merlin dropped his head to the side and frowned. Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Did he do magic without knowing it again?! This really needed to stop.

Arthur chuckled, not noticing the tiny fit Merlin was throwing. "Yes, I know, I know. I'm the girl."

"Yes you are." Merlin chuckled along though his formerly relaxing heart had picked back up to beating a million times a minute.

Arthur continued to trace his fingers through Merlin's hair, Merlin doing the same on his arm until Arthur's soft voice broke their bit of silence. "I'm not going anywhere Merlin. So you'll just have to live with me."

"If I've learned to put up with you already, I'm sure you as girl won't be much different."

"Shut up idiot."

"Prat."

Arthur bent down and pulled Merlin back into him, their sweaty, chilly, messy bodies colliding together in the embrace as they met in another kiss. This time they were too run down to listen to that ferocious hunger. They were able to kiss and touch and breathe each other in for hours.

As long as they were together, everything would be all right.

Soon after dressing and eating they headed into Elmet. The change of atmosphere that came with the perilous lands was quite obvious as the dark red sky illuminated the scenery before them. There were the usual trees and hills but they looked dangerous and menacing, as if each part of nature was alive and wanted to kill everything around it. Even the horses were a bit on edge as they continued to give false steps and stubbornly refuse certain shifts in direction. Arthur was forced to consult their map more than once because of it.

The first night was a worrisome one. They tied down the horses with an extra knot and took turns keeping watch until the day broke through. They were both tired and cranky but they forced themselves to move on. The first danger they encountered was a wild boar charging with its horns at the horses, the second was a couple of robbers that Arthur quickly scared off –with a bit of anonymous help from magic-, but then things took a turn for the worse in the infamous Red Forest.

It was near dark when they arrived and dismounted their horses. On the outside it looked just as frightening as the rest of Elmet, with the trunks appearing the color of dried blood and the needles sharp as thorns and glowing eyes from woodland creatures blinking in the gloom, but the true threat lay beneath the trees. The sinking sand could reside at any point on the forest floor, lying in wait for someone to misstep and swallow them whole. With all it had rained the past few days, it was sure to be quite confusing to distinguish between regular mud and mud that could kill. Every step would be a game of chance.

"Shouldn't we wait till tomorrow?" Merlin asked, looking into the forest. Everything looked the same shade of gray to him and the path was a narrow one. "It's a bit dark don't you think?"

"The sun hasn't shone for days Merlin." Arthur scolded, looking at the sky. "It won't tomorrow. We can't waist time. More people will die if we do." With that, Arthur started for the path, his horse trailing along and leaving Merlin to frown behind.

"Of course they will." Merlin sighed and timidly walked after his brave knight in shining civilian clothes.

At first, it was all fine. They had a bit of trouble maneuvering in the small spaces with the horses between the tress, the trail having grown over with brush, but they managed to clear out a good portion of the forest. That was when Merlin just had to take one step too far to the left.

His foot sucked in quicker than he could let out the yelp. The sudden move from it all scared his horse right away and it kicked back so hard that its reins slipped out of his hands. To make things worse, as the horse reared away and he stumbled to grab at it, his other foot fell behind him and now that one was sucked up to the calf. "Arthur!" Merlin shouted as he felt his calves sinking in as well, the mud scooping into his clothes and suctioning him in. No matter how much he struggled he only seemed to sink deeper, now stuck up to his knees.

"Don't move!" Arthur shouted back in warning as he veered off his path and headed in Merlin's direction.

"I can't!" Merlin shouted back. "That's the point!"

"Don't struggle then!" Of course, Arthur was a bit farther ahead and didn't realize the quicksand was so spread out and actually only a few steps to his own left. His resulting slip caused his own horse to run away free at a gallop and get both of his legs stuck as well. "Oh, you have to be joking!"

"What?"

"Nothing!"

"Did you get stuck as well?"

"You see what you do Merlin? You always get me into trouble!"

"Me?!"

"Yes you! Now shut up and look for a branch nearby, something to grab onto." Merlin looked around but didn't really see anything that would help. He tried to reach for the base of a nearby tree but it was too far away and he was only sinking faster. Even reaching for the solid ground he had once been standing on was pointless as his fingers only slid in the dirt.

"There's nothing here. What about you?"

"I'm trying." Arthur groaned as he stretched for a nearby low hanging branch. Only a single twig was close enough to grasp and that broke on contact. He screamed in frustration as he continued to look for something that would work.

"What now?"

"Shut up, I'm thinking!"

Merlin looked around once more, wishing the horses had stayed and ignoring the panic of what would become of them if they couldn't find them again. They would have no food, no clothes, no flint to make fire, no swords to defend themselves with. It didn't look good. He was up to his chest, the higher the mud traveled the faster he sank and Arthur was nearing him with everything past his stomach stuck. They were really running out of options and that only meant one thing. Merlin was going to have to do magic to get them out.

Maybe he could bend a tree branch down without Arthur noticing. Or maybe he could push himself up and get out while Arthur was distracted. It didn't matter how he did it, he would just have to do it fast because with his arms raised he was stuck up to the base of his neck and his head was getting dizzy from the panic.

"Just hold on Merlin!" Arthur shouted but he too was stuck beyond true reassurance.

Merlin sighed. This was it. This was the day Arthur would find out. He could only hope for a moment it would turn out okay as he looked up towards the nearest branch and started to pull his magic up to pull it down. His eyes started to glow their golden color in the dark of the night and he could feel the tip of the branch coming into his palm, just as something hit him in the head.

He strained his neck and looked up and around to see a long rope clinging around one arm and he followed that rope up to a large man covered in animal skins with a dog barking at his side. "Grab on!" He shouted and Merlin did as he was told, gripping tight as the large man pulled him back to safe ground, the mud keeping up a strong hold on his body, fighting to keep him stuck.

Merlin rolled to his feet with a deep heaviness in his limbs and helped as the man did the same for Arthur who had not been far behind.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked Arthur who shoved him off with a nod.

"You?"

"Yeah."

"You better watch your heads." The strange man seemed quite jovial considering what had just happened and laughed out loud at his own joke.

Merlin looked up at him with a curious face before his vision started to blur. With a look at Arthur, he saw the prince blinking in the same languid way before everything tilted upside down and Merlin was suddenly on the ground staring at the top of the trees, the gray fading into complete black.

* * *

**AN**: Sorry you waited for smut. Wait…what? No I'm not sorry. You're fucking welcome ;) Kick my ass and next chapter will be up sooner…most likely.


	4. The Outsiders

The world came into focus in slow motion as Merlin's eyes fluttered open. The harsh smell of burnt meat hit his nose and he jumped as he realized he was no longer on the cold forest floor. Above him was the brown canvas of a tent, over him was the warmth of a thick blanket, and next to him was Arthur -who came to consciousness just as slow and just as confused. Where were they? How did they end up in shelter? With food apparently cooking?

Their questions were answered when the big burly man and his dog, last seen pulling them from the muck, came stomping into the small tent and a large jolly laugh filled the air at the sight of them. "Good. You're awake. Come get some food then." Merlin and Arthur looked at each other again, not trusting this man for a second with the rumors that filled the land…but food did sound rather good. The growl sounding from Merlin's stomach made it clear that was where his intentions lie.

As they crawled from out of the warmth and out of the tent, they gasped at the sight before them. They were no longer stuck in the weedy and misleading confines of the Red Forest. They were in the clearing of a large cave, carved out high above the blood red bark and into the rocky side of a mountain. Being close to the opening of the cave, they could see how far they truly traveled while unconscious with the landscape mostly enveloped in the dark of the night that they had last seen just starting to creep in. The cave itself was enormous, holding many tents similar to the one they crawled out from. All were simple and small so there was room for an entire village to take shelter around the large fire spitting flames in the center of it all, with smoke spiraling high and escaping through the roof in a natural hole gaping across the ceiling.

"Here." The man thrust a few bowls filled with blackened meat and -what looked to be- potatoes at their chests. The boys shared another look, challenging the other to take the first bite of the strange food but the man spoke again before they could vocalize, "We found your horses. They're over there in the back and- Well go on then! Eat up. If I wanted you dead I would have let the mud swallow you whole."

Merlin nodded -he did have a point- and started to dig in, almost moaning out loud at how good the food really tasted. Black and burnt, it was still better than the food they ate in their travels. Merlin being the cook had nothing to do with that. Mostly. He was a fine cook…sometimes. Gaius did most of the cooking for a reason.

Arthur started to dig in right after, though much more like a prince than a hungry boy lost in the woods. The burly man didn't seem to notice as he led the way to the center fire, gesturing for them to follow and sit on a few tree stumps dragged in for that exact purpose.

"Thank you." Arthur said for them, gesturing around at the surrounding scene as his low voice filled the silence in the dead of night. "For the food and shelter, bringing us all the way here, and saving our lives. That was very generous of you and we owe you a great debt."

"Debt," The man scoffed and waved him away. "I don't want to hear about that. With all that's been going on recently no one would be able to keep track of such a thing. What brings you idiots this way anyhow? Most are headed south…haven't seen anyone traveling north." The man gave them a proper skeptical look as he started to pet the top of his dog's head -which seemed to also give them an untrustworthy gaze with its wolfish eyes. With many of the chaotic events happening in the north due to the evil surfacing from below, they had all the right to look at them like that.

"My uncle." Arthur answered for them and Merlin was happy to keep eating as he looked around and let Arthur lie for them.

They seemed to be the only people awake. Very few were walking about and no one was making a sound but them. The oddest sight sticking out of the seemingly safe normalcy was a young girl standing just behind the flaps of a tent, her eyes watching them intently from her hiding place. When Merlin caught her staring, he waved and smiled but she did not return his greeting. Instead, she gasped and her eyes flashed gold. With the color, the flaps of the tent closed on their own and she jumped back. Merlin's heart thudded at the sight of what appeared to be magic, wondering if he imagined the act, and looked to Arthur to see if he noticed but he was still explaining their reason for heading north.

"He's from Deira. He was ill before these tragedies started happening and we fear he will not fare well on his own. We are going to fetch him and bring him back home." Merlin found his attention turning back to the man that saved them when Arthur slapped a hand over his shoulder and faced him in the direction of the fire. "I'm Arthur and this is my friend, Merlin." Merlin nodded and smiled with a tiny wave as Arthur dug his fingers into his skin a bit tighter.

"Not a relative? And he's still traveling north with you? Some friend." The man laughed that loud laugh again and Merlin looked about but he didn't seem to wake anyone with it. Maybe they were used to his laugh. He seemed to do it a lot. He was a very cheery man for living in the middle of such dangerous lands. "Were are you lads traveling from then?"

"Camelot."

"Oh, you poor souls. Well I suppose these tragedies –as you call them- haven't reached Camelot yet so that's something redeeming. Even if it was the last safe haven in the war to come, you couldn't pay me to live there."

"War or no war, I find it quite a nice place actually." Arthur said through a bitter smile, which only made the man laugh harder. "I can't imagine living anywhere else."

"Under Uther?! Oh yes, well for you maybe. But for your friend…" Merlin and Arthur both looked at him with furrowed brows at the comment but he interrupted their wondering minds. "Does he even talk? Is there something wrong with him?"

"Oh, no." Merlin mumbled around his bite, trying to mime a bit before speaking again. "Sorry. Um- no I can talk. Just- this is really good." Merlin shrugged and pointed down at his half empty bowl, ignoring Arthur's eye roll at his side.

"Thank you. Cooked it myself. Though Daria did most of the work with the kill. She's quite the hunter she is." The man pat his dog affectionately and Daria rolled her head so he would start to scratch behind her ears.

"If only Merlin were that useful." Arthur smiled tightly at him before turning back to the man with a new sense of caution that had nothing to do with stature or reputation and all to do with his view of Camelot. "I'm sorry, we didn't catch your name."

"Ah, my apologies. Brock at your service." He gave a small bow, missing all of Arthur's tension, before gesturing to the tents surrounding them. "I'll introduce you to the others in the morning. Till then, you can stay in the empty you came from. I'm afraid I have to finish my hunt."

"Would you like any help?"

"After you've been in the mud?! You must be rather tired from the pits."

"Yes, why did we-"

"Pass out like you had three too many?" The man laughed again and stretched his way to standing. "Oh, that'd be the Pacuana. They live in the mud. Eat up anything that falls in by oozing out this juice that'll knock you clean out. Most who live round here know not to touch the stuff."

"Yes, that is good to know for the future."

"No." Brock gestured towards the tent he fetched them from. "You two go on back to sleep. You don't mind sharing do you?"

"Of course not." Merlin smiled and passed his empty bowl back to Brock who took Arthur's as well.

"Alright then. Till the morning."

"Have a good hunt." Arthur smiled tightly again and let it fall straight to a frown as they left the warmth of the fire to head back into the tent and he continued to mumble under his breath. "Merlin. You idiot."

"What?"

"_Of course not_. You don't need to sound so excited to share a tent with me. Gods know you'll get us in trouble at home. It'll be a hanging for us both."

"I wasn't saying that." Merlin spat back in a hushed whisper. "I was just saying it was fine. Besides, he knows we've been traveling together. What do you think he expected? Separate rooms? Building walls around the fire? Pretending we're not next to each other on the forest floor? Only a prince would be spoiled enough to do something like that."

"Shut it Merlin."

"It's not like it matters anyway. So what if he knows we're together?" They ducked back into the tent with a second look out the flaps to make sure they were alone before Arthur turned to Merlin again.

"I don't trust him."

"Because of what he said about your father? People will have opinions Arthur. Especially away from the kingdom. He's not a member of Camelot. He doesn't know what it's like there."

"I suppose." Arthur seemed reluctant to agree. Merlin just had an instinct to trust Brock and he knew Arthur wouldn't understand. "What do you think he meant anyway?"

"About what?"

"When he said for me it would be a favorable place to live but not for you? What did he mean by that?"

"Oh, nothing probably." Merlin busied himself with shifting the blankets they had woken on to create some sort of bed for them each as he ignored the question. He had been wondering the same thing but had quite a good guess. Brock had likely seen him use magic to try and escape the pit of mud just as he was arriving. Perhaps he knew but, luckily, did not say anything about him being a sorcerer. Maybe it had something to do with the little girl using magic to shut the flap on her tent. Maybe, since they were hiding away from Camelot, it was accepted here.

Merlin could only hope it was untrue. He could not stay in a place with magic with Arthur. He could not risk it. Not even for one night. "Just sensed the arrogance on you I'm sure. Knew you had it easy. No one with a hard life could be as fat as you."

"Ha. Ha." Arthur glared and snatched the pillow Merlin was fluffing from his hands. "Just for that, I get the pillow."

"Hey-"

"Hay is for horses Merlin. Which you should check on by the way. Make sure they haven't stolen anything we brought. Including my sword."

"You think you're so clever don't you?"

"I do." Merlin giggled at the genuine smile Arthur cracked before he pointed back out the tent. "Now go on. Find us a change of clothes too. The mud has made my clothes rather solid." Merlin mumbled on his way out the door but left all the same as Arthur chucked his shirt aside and fell to the ground.

The horses were in the back, just where Brock said they would be. Also, just like Brock said, as he walked towards them he realized did feel rather tried. The food helped perk him up but his limbs were still heavy and his eyes were near closing. The tent seemed much more comfortable than the ground they had been sleeping on. . . so much warmer. They finally had a true roof over their heads to keep them out of that continuous rain. Arthur was probably already sleeping.

That turned out to be a good thing after what Merlin saw next.

The horses were fine, drinking and eating with the others. Relief flooded him when he realized everything was in its proper place –Arthur's sword and his book of magic included. He momentarily wondered who had fed them this late at night, thinking it was Brock, right before seeing a few teenage boys crawling about. For the time of night it was, and with how tired he felt, Merlin wondered if they were sneaking out of the cave without permission and didn't think much on it until he saw the boy in front flick out his hand and light the air with a small ball of flames. Merlin's eyes widened at the open use of magic and couldn't help looking over his shoulder to see if anyone else saw. When he turned back, he noticed the boy behind the one with the fire also use magic to call a stick on the far side of the cavern to his palm, tipping it into the other boy's flames until it lit.

Merlin watched, stuck in his place, until they left completely. They seemed so indifferent to the use of magic. They acted as if it was nothing more than lighting a torch to lead their way out of the cave. Maybe that's all it was to them. Merlin couldn't really wrap his head around the idea of using magic without care or concern, worry of death or penalty. His eyes flashed to the tent where he saw the young girl and he wondered how many of them had magic there. Clearly it was accepted. Was it a community of sorcerers? He only knew of the Druids but there had to be others.

That meant trouble for them. Prince Arthur would not be able to handle keeping his mouth shut, let alone his identity a secret. If he was not in fact imagining things due to being tired from the Pacuana, Merlin would have to get them out of there as soon as possible without Arthur finding out why. Awards should have been made for such things and yet Merlin would never get one. Just like always, Merlin's efforts would go unnoticed.

When Merlin slid back into the tent with the change of clothes and some water, Arthur was already fast asleep. Well, it was good for at least one of them to catch some shuteye because Merlin was going to be up tossing and turning, worrying that Arthur would sense the magic and someone would out him with his true identity.

The next morning came too soon. Merlin was warm and comfortable and relaxed until a boot came colliding with his side and he heard Arthur yell at him to get up, "Rise and shine you lazy git. We've got plenty of ground to cover today."

Merlin groaned and turned to his side, away from him. "Aren't I the one meant to wake you up? What time is it?"

"Time for you to get moving." Another push came from Arthur along with the tug of his warm blanket. Merlin tried to hold onto the thing but ended up in a bit of tug of war. Arthur was stronger than him so he gave up and tossed it away causing Arthur to stumble back from the lack of tension, all the way to the door, straight into Brock who had come with the same intention of waking them.

Arthur coughed and straightened himself as Brock entered and smiled, something he always seemed to do. Daria came jogging in and ran straight up to Merlin, licking her tongue up the side of his cheek repeatedly, no matter how many times he pushed her away.

"Morning boys. Breakfast is on if you want some. May want to move fast. The young ones are greedy little things."

They followed Brock out of the tent and towards the fire but the sights that followed had him thinking far beyond food. There was magic everywhere. Now that everyone was up and starting their day, people were using it to do chores and start fires and water the horses. There wasn't a place to look where magic wasn't seen.

Well, there went Merlin's plan to get Arthur out before he noticed anything. He looked to Arthur with worry and saw the prince's jaw clenched tight, his stone cold eyes glancing around, and his nose flaring just a bit. Still, they made it back to the fire and took their seats and food without a word on it. Merlin dug right into his breakfast to try and keep occupied during the suddenly awkward silence but Arthur didn't touch his. He stared into the fire until he worked out what he wanted to say and with forced kindness in his voice he asked, "So, do you all practice magic then?"

"Not all." Brock replied, seemingly unaffected by Arthur's tone yet again. "Many here have it. Some ran, some came with family, some came from simply being accused. Many from your precious Camelot." Brock seemed to sense that was the wrong thing to say so he shrugged it off, trying to blaze over the comment. "Me? Well, my wife had magic before the purge. We were chased from our home, ended up here. Everyone protects each other here. They protected us, up until the day she died."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's been years."

"You stayed."

"They became my family. Along with Daria here." Daria looked up at the call of her name and he smiled down at her before turning back to the boys. "I wanted to repay them for their kindness."

"That's very honorable of you."

"Everyone helps out their fair share. Magic or not. So will you, after you're done. You can help some of the parents with the kids before their lessons. Help feed them I mean."

"Lessons?"

"Yes. A sort of school for magic if you will. Books and everything."

"Books?" Merlin asked, too curious not to.

"Yes many copies made by hand by our own Vivalda. Best sorceress of us all I tell you. She teaches the kids good, she does. We wouldn't survive without her."

"Well we'd love to help you," Arthur said with another stressful look around the campfire. "After we do, I'm afraid we'll be on our way. We have a long way to go before we reach my uncle."

"Oh you won't be going anywhere today."

"Pardon?"

"The storm. There's a big one blowing in from the north. Vivalda said so herself. It'll be coming in later tonight and the closest shelter -that won't kill you that is- is a two day's ride."

Arthur frowned deeper and set down his food, adjusting his body and his sword to face Brock with all the intimidation he held. "Thank you but I think we'll manage."

"I must insist. I can even guide you through the rest of the forest if you like but I'm not moving until the storm passes. Vivalda is never wrong. Death will catch anyone who tries to go out in it. No, it's better for you and your horses if you stay. Though I, of course, cannot actually force you to. But we are having lamb for supper and I make a mean lamb." Brock winked at both of them and Merlin chuckled to himself before remembering why he was so tense in the first place.

"Then we must stay." Arthur agreed behind his teeth, a hand twitching in his lap. "Thank you for your hospitality."

Brock nodded and gestured towards a woman on the other side of the cave. "I'll just get Selena to set you up then."

Arthur nodded as he left before turning towards the fire and staring into the flames. Waiting didn't change anything and Arthur just kept staring. It was not helping his anxiety and he needed to say something. "Aren't you going to eat?" Merlin tentatively asked.

"I'm not hungry."

"It's not bad."

"I said I'm not hungry Merlin."

"Alright." Merlin continued to watch, leaving his food in his lap as he waited for Arthur to speak his mind. Apparently that wasn't going to happen without some prompting. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Sure you are. It's only one night."

"I know."

"They're nice people."

"They're sorcerers."

"They're still people. Families, children, teachers-"

"Yes but what are they teaching? There is a reason they are all hiding in the most dangerous parts of the land."

"Magic does not necessarily make them bad. It depends on how they use it."

"I know you're right. I do. It's just… It do not trust them. What do you think?"

Merlin bit his tongue at the disappointment that always settled in when Arthur spoke on magic. Of course, he was more accepting than Uther and showed it. Helping Mordred get back home to the Druids was something Merlin still didn't feel right about almost preventing and he was glad Arthur helped. It showed a change in character. Even if the Great Dragon's words still swirled around and made him worried when he let it.

Instead of saying something he would regret or letting slip a clue as to his true reasons for defending the magic users, he decided to play to Arthur's needs and say, "We can't trust anyone out here. Magic or not."

Arthur nodded definitively at the statement, making their decision. "We will stay. But we leave early in the morning."

When they looked up again the woman Brock had nodded to greeted them with a smile. She seemed a kind lady with a kind smile, very motherly and caring in the way she spoke. "Hello dears. I'm Selena. I'm sure the big oaf mentioned I'd be helping you out today."

"Yes he did." Merlin chuckled with her as Arthur tried to smile.

"He said you're Merlin correct?"

Merlin nodded and pointed towards Arthur. "This is Arthur."

"Yes, well hello Arthur. Oh well aren't you a handsome man." She reached out and pat Arthur's cheek. "Remind me to keep my daughter away from you. She loves a blonde she does." Selena winked at Merlin and he smiled again, both now ignoring the semi-frown on Arthur's face. "Well then, let's get you boys set up. You'll just be helping clearing away dishes. Sound alright?"

"Sounds great." Arthur suddenly stood to face her.

"Good." She smiled at them both and walked ahead. "Follow me."

Selena set them up at the station where everyone was dumping their empty dishes so they could rinse and dry the bowls and plates for re-use. She helped them for a bit before a group of young kids started to use their magic to throw rocks at each other and she ran to tell them off. They met many of the people in the village as they came up and most were nice. They were curious to hear why they were found in the mud of the Red Forest and welcomed them to their home. Arthur seemed to relax with the more people he talked to, forgetting the magic surrounding him for the moment, until Augusta and Ogden came to give them their plates.

"So you're the outsiders then?" The two were twins, identical in looks even with the opposite genders. They were in their late teens, younger than Merlin and Arthur, and held no friendly presence. The male was the one speaking, refusing to actually hand his empty dish over, though Merlin kept his hand out.

"We are." Arthur answered, straightening his stance at the offensive tone and Merlin lowered his hand slowly. "Who are you?"

"Ogden. This is my sister, Augusta."

"Why do you have your sword to do our dishes?" Augusta asked with a brow raised, a challenge in her eyes. "Is it because your lack of magic makes you feel inferior?"

"I think you're right sister." Ogden laughed, joining his sister in the challenging stance. "He's compensating for something."

"I'm sorry if my sword offends you." Arthur said with no remorse in his tone. "I always carry it with me. It is my right to do so."

"Listen to him." Augusta laughed. "You sound so proper."

"So authoritative." Ogden tagged on.

"Can we have your dishes now?" Arthur held out his hand this time, refusing to lower it down. "We agreed to help Selena. I ask you to be respectful of that."

"Ooh, we've made the proper boy angry." Ogden laughed and Merlin clenched his fists at his side as the twins smiled.

"His friend too."

"Merlin is it?" Ogden asked but Merlin couldn't find a smile to give him. Instead, he just answered with a simple, "Yes."

"Are you a proper boy too Merlin?" Augusta asked with a coy smile.

Merlin frowned at her and looked to Arthur in an attempt to calm both him and himself. "I know how to show proper respect."

"At least you have the power to demand yours. Unlike your friend here."

"Yes, why are you even friends with a man like him?"

"I don't know what you mean." Merlin said, now gripping the table so he wouldn't let slip his magic or start to yell in Arthur's defense. He knew Arthur would not like that of him and it would not be beneficial for either of them in trying to hide their true identities.

"You don't belong in Camelot with the likes of him." She nodded towards Arthur with a pompous flick of the wrist. "Not with what you can do. You're a sor-"

"I think I'm exactly where I belong." Merlin growled, now understanding what they were implying. "In fact, I think you are the ones lost." Merlin nodded towards the people behind the twins, all clearing out to do their chores for the day. "You should go."

"We've insulted him as well." Ogden laughed with his sister as Arthur's hand instinctively pulled back to rest on the hilt of his sword.

"He asked you to leave." Arthur warned.

"You have a knight in shining armor." Augusta laughed again at Merlin. "Alright, we'll leave. Here you go." With a flick of the wrist the twins' bowls went flying from their hand and magically collided into Arthur and Merlin's chest, the bits of food stuck there now stuck on their clean change of clothes.

The twins were cackling away as an elderly woman with much presence and power, contradictory to her appearance, came out from behind with a frown on her face and her hands on her hips. "Ogden, Augusta. If you two would stop being so despicable to our guests and join us, lessons start soon."

"Yes, Vivalda." Both twins agreed and dropped their heads as the woman scared them off. She waved her hands and the bowls floated from the ground to a proper place in front of the boys, the food stuck to their shirts floating away as well.

"I'm Vivalda." The way she spoke demanded attention and Merlin could feel the power within her pouring into every motion she made. It was hard to tell if she was pleasant or not as her tone was purely authoritative. "Pleasure to meet you. Are you boys coming? You are more than welcome."

Merlin and Arthur caught eyes and silently asked each other what they should do. Merlin shrugged as if to say he didn't know what they would do otherwise but really he wanted to go. It would be interesting to see a lesson about magic. Being self-taught, he wanted to know about more than his one book could tell him. How far could he go with Arthur at his side?

Arthur seemed to be more cautious. Still, he nodded and looked at Vivalda. "Yes. That sounds acceptable."

Vivalda nodded and walked away as Selena came to shoo them away. "Go on, go on. Vivalda doesn't like to be kept waiting. Esme will take you. Esme!" A girl a few years younger with dark brown hair and light green eyes came running over and smiled at them both.

"Yes mum?"

"Can you take these boys with you? It'll give them something to do. You boys don't want to do chores all day."

"We don't mind if you require the help." Arthur said, almost hopefully.

"No, no," Selena pushed them away. "Go on. Have fun."

"Come on." Esme smiled, doing a double take over Arthur's body -just as her mother had warned-, and started to jog out in front of them, leading them past the fire and down one of the many tunnels in the back. They followed the girl into another channel, cut away into the side of a tunnel where many of the children sat, the twins included. They were all crowded around Vivalda who had a book in one hand and was waving the other around, lighting torches along the walls using her magic.

"Come sit with me. You can read over my shoulder if you wish." Esme smiled, the same kind smile her mother had, at them and led the way to the far side of the room where she pulled out a copy of the book Vivalda held. Merlin gladly followed as Arthur took up the rear, eying everyone they passed and keeping his hand on his sword.

"Children," Vivalda spoke and everyone quieted instantly. "Today we will be continuing healing spells. As you may have noticed, Casandra is not here. She ignored my order and practiced outside of this circle. She caused herself harm and will not be joining us. Remember, we learn to help others, not to help ourselves. It is why we practice together. Without each other, who else would we have? Let us go over pronunciation."

Merlin watched from behind Esme as everyone chanted along with Vivalda. He did not know the words they were saying but he could feel them on an instinctual level. There was an energy that lifted into the air and everyone seemed to feel it as they practiced on their own and with partners, sending their magic into the space. Merlin tried to contain his excitement as he mouthed along and hid a smile behind his hands but there was no taking away the amazement in his eyes. When he looked back at Arthur, he felt that buzzing feeling sink to one of worry.

Arthur was watching with a frown, seeming to get angrier as time passed. Esme cheered and turned to use one of them as a partner to see if she could do something simple but Arthur backed away without saying a thing. Merlin agreed but that only seemed to make Arthur more frustrated.

"Would you like to try Merlin?" Esme asked innocently, flipping the book in his direction.

"I can't." Merlin said quickly, looking down at the book and trying not to look at Arthur.

"Why not? It's a simple spell. You should be able to do it easy. Arthur how about you? I know you don't have magic like Me-"

"Look over there!" Merlin jumped on her sentence as he had done with the twins and pointed towards the entrance of the room. He cursed himself...not literally...for the lack of attentiveness he knew he needed to have. He just got lost in the life of the village and the comfort it provided him. His anxiety was lessened and it kept him from being vigilant.

"What?" Esme looked over her shoulder curiously.

"Arthur look." Merlin tried again, pointing towards the entrance and trying to think of something that would make him leave. "Over there. I thought I saw…a…bear."

"A bear?"

"A bear?" Esme asked just as skeptically.

"Yes." Merlin said, knowing just how stupid it sounded. "A…bear."

"Merlin there are no bears around here." Arthur looked at him as if he were as stupid as he sounded. "We're in a cave."

"Bears live in caves," Merlin shrugged. "Can you check?"

"What do you mean can I-"

"Please?"

"Scared of a shadow and I have to-" Arthur jumped up without finishing and walked away before Merlin could apologize.

"He doesn't know." Merlin explained to Esme with a whisper, even though Arthur was already out of range.

Esme opened her mouth in shock and sputtered out in apology, "Oh, I just assumed. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. It's just hard to keep from him. How do you know?"

"Well I suppose I just sensed it. You have quite the aura of magic." Merlin didn't know what to say to that so he looked over Esme's shoulder and back at the shadow he sent Arthur to. "He seems rather..."

"Arrogant? Pretentious? Pratish?"

"I was going to say closed off." Esme giggled and flipped the book back to her side as Merlin smiled at her. "Is he alright?"

"He has a hard time with magic."

"Vivalda has told us about people like that." Esme said, turning towards the teacher who was helping someone across the room. "That's why we have to stick together. Right?" Merlin smiled but did not answer. Esme seemed to sense the pain he caused in her innocent statement and tried to apologize again. "I'm sure you'll tell him one day. He'll see. He'll accept you. I'm sure."

Merlin didn't answer again but he didn't need to as Vivalda popped up behind Esme and called for him. "Merlin, may I speak to you for a moment." She gestured towards the back of the cave and Merlin nodded, swallowed, and followed her to the secluded corner.

"Most enjoy the relaxing sensation of this kind of magic. Your friend does not?"

"He's- um- he's just a bit tired."

"Tired." Vivalda hummed in a way that made Merlin feel she heard more of his conversation with Esme than she was letting on. "I see. You mustn't blame him."

"It's been a long journey," Merlin agreed.

Vivalda shook her head, sending her long gray curls into her face, a knowing look in her eyes. "His views on magic were passed down from a very vengeful man. Uther has pressed his beliefs onto him but he has a mind of his own. I sense great things in Arthur Pendragon."

"You- I don't know what you're- He's not-"

"I see many things Emrys. Not all, but many. I know who he is. I know who you are. I see you are hurt by his mistrust. You mustn't blame him completely. He has a noble heart."

Merlin found his mouth falling open in the shock of Vivalda divulging their secrets as if it were casual conversation. She knew his Druid name, she knew who Arthur truly was, she knew how he felt, how Arthur felt...it seemed she did know many things. Perhaps she knew their true reason for traveling north. Maybe Brock meant she knew more than just the weather.

The longer she gazed down with her intense blue eyes, the more he found his excuses crumbling. "Yes he does."

She nodded and looked to the children practicing around them. The twins were caught staring but they turned back to their work as soon as Vivalda spotted them. "Do you have anyone? In Camelot. That you can talk to about you magic."

"I have Gaius. He's my…well he's basically my father."

"That is good. It is good to have someone. Especially someone like you. You have a great destiny ahead of you."

"My destiny, yes. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have Gaius to speak of it with. I have Arthur too I just…I can't tell him. It's my burden to bear."

"Magic should not feel like a burden. It is a gift."

"Yes, well…it doesn't always feel that way."

"You should take this book." Vivalda handed him the one in her hands, the one she had been reading from while teaching the kids. "As a warlock you should read as many books as you can. It will be useful to you."

Merlin gaped at the spells in his hands and flicked his fingers over the cover. It was so tempting but he knew, "I can't. If Arthur found it…"

"Yes, his mind is not yet open." Vivalda hummed again and took the book back before nodding towards the entrance. "Come to the fire circle tonight before you leave. Bring Arthur. You both should see what we do."

"Alright." Merlin agreed to her command just as Arthur came back up behind him.

"No bears Merlin. It was a shadow. Like I said. Idiot."

Vivalda suggested they walk out since the lesson had ended and the children would be doing other things with the rest of their day. Entering the main area, they looked through the opening of the cave and gasped. Rain was pouring down in sheets, wind was tearing it all sideways, and the sounds of it resembled an avalanche with all the things hitting the side of the mountain.

"I see much." Vivalda whispered to Merlin and winked just as Brock came stumbling inside, Daria in tow, shaking the rain from her coat.

"Time to close up!" Brock shouted at everyone who knew what that meant and went to work. They used magic to barricade the door and keep out the storm and all the branches flying in their direction. An invisible barrier was sent to the hole above the fire so it would not be put out by the water as well. "You boys come help me now." He pointed to Merlin and Arthur and towards another tunnel in the back. "Time for us to help with this fire."

Merlin and Arthur followed Brock and Selena around for the rest of the day, helping with their chores and other work that needed to be done. They put them to work taking care of the horses and other animals in stock, with the gardens, with the laundry, and with the food for the day -including that infamous lamb Brock promised. Merlin tried to talk to Arthur, make a few jokes about him having to lift a finger for once, but Arthur was in no joking mood. He stayed silent for most of the time.

"So are you boys going to join the fire circle tonight?" Selena asked as they were finishing up dinner.

"Vivalda did invite us." Merlin said quietly. "Though, I'm not sure I know what it is."

"It's a ritual to appease the gods." Brock said and Selena explained further.

"It's magic to protect from bad spirits. With the foul occurrences in the north, we have started to practice it once every few days. It is a way to keep us safe. The magic works for all involved."

"I'm not sure we'll be involved." Arthur said, a tad defensively. "We will of course watch."

"Then you're in for a show lads." Brock winked again and they finished helping with chores until all people of the nomad magical village had been fed and were talking amongst themselves.

Vivalda stood above them all and called their attention with the simple act, commanding the room as she did with the children. "Let us begin."

Everyone stood and started to move into predestined places as Merlin and Arthur shuffled to the back. They gathered around the fire in a large circle, all starting to chant at the same time. It started low and quiet, getting louder as more joined hands and chanted together, and the echos from the surrounding rock made it sound like singing. The song grew as the chanting got louder and their hands pulled from each other to gesture towards the fire. The flames pulled apart and started to float to the air, licking at the ceiling. The more they chanted the more the flames broke apart until there were millions of tiny dots hovering in the air, dancing together and washing an orange glow over all.

Merlin smiled as he looked to Arthur and saw the hint of some awe in his eyes. It was an astounding spectacle that threw a sense of serenity into the air. Perhaps Arthur could feel the good intentions behind the magic. Merlin could only hope it was opening his mind as Vivalda said. He reached out and slipped his hand across Arthur's wrist, giving it a small squeeze as he turned back to the villagers. "What do you think?"

"It's…" Arthur sighed and reluctantly said, "Amazing."

"Not all magic is evil."

"No. It's not."

Before more could be whispered, Daria started to bark viciously, pouncing past Brock and towards the entrance to the cave. She would not stop even after Brock split from the group to quiet her. "Daria. What's gotten into you girl?"

The barking continued as a loud crack sounded at the blocked off entrance and a howl escaped through the cracks from the intensity of the wind. In one loud explosion the rocks bounced free and the storm seemed to enter all at once as the wind swept in and surrounded the villagers, putting out the small fires in the air and leaving them all in darkness.

Not many screamed. In fact, Daria was the loudest as most did nothing. Absolutely nothing.

In once simultaneous move, the ones with magic turned from the fire to face the boys as Daria turned her barking to them. All men, women, and children -Vivalda included-, moved their mouths at once, all saying the same thing with the same deceitful smile and the same cloudy eyes. "We meet at last. The two halves in all their glory."

Those Merlin recognized as not having magic started to scream and pull at those entranced, Brock joining in. Nothing they did affected them. They continued to smile and stare ahead at Merlin and Arthur.

"What is going on?" Arthur commanded, looking around as he pulled the rest of his sword to his front.

"You have traveled farther than you should." Everyone continued to stare but the voices funneled down so only a handful of people spoke at the same time.

"Esme!" Selena could be heard by them above the rest, running to her daughter and shaking her arm. "Esme stop!"

"What does that mean?" Arthur commanded, his eyes darting around the cave and to those with the clouded eyes, taking a step closer and shifting his weight into a fighting stance. "Who are you?"

"I am what you fear most." Only Esme spoke this time. The innocence of her face and voice conflicting with the words coming from her mouth.

"Esme!" Selena tried again but Esme turned to her and flicked a wrist, sending her mother flying back and Brock running to help her up as Daria started to growl low and long.

"I don't understand."

"You will." Esme walked closer with her clouded eyes and Merlin pulled his magic up, preparing for whatever this was. "For I can see inside your soul. I know your deepest desires. I know what lies in the dark corners of your mind and heart."

As she walked even closer Arthur shifted his sword and stepped up. "Merlin, get behind me."

"Ah, yes Emrys." Esme smiled and gave a heartless laugh. "Hide behind him as you hide behind all else, for no one shall see the true you and you shall forever cage yourself in shadows. You are limited and weak and you know it. You know you cannot win without losing. You cannot pay the price."

Merlin's mouth gaped open as he listened to Esme speak. He knew it wasn't truly her and he knew it had to be linked to this prophecy but it couldn't be true. He couldn't be looking at the thing meant to bring about the destruction of the world. The primal dusk. Though, this cryptic speak did sound like the one from the prophecy. Why did it always have to be cryptic? He didn't understand all she was saying and he even knew about it. Arthur was completely lost in it.

"Stop speaking to him." Arthur challenged and stepped even further in front of Merlin, blocking his body.

"Ah yes, Prince Arthur Pendragon. The knight in shining armor. You too hide. Bravery is but a defense for you."

"Are you the sorcerer causing all of this?" Arthur shouted as he took another look around the cave, even looking back over Merlin's shoulder to check the entrance and the storm outside. "Show yourself! I wish to see your true form. Face me!"

"All in due time. First you must reach me."

"Where are you?"

"At the end."

"Stop stalling and show yourself! We know you're here. Let these people go."

"I am everywhere." Esme held out her hands, as did everyone else under the spell, their arms dropping at the same time as well. "They are not your people, they are mine."

"What do you mean they are yours?"

"Everyone is mine. See for yourself –"

Merlin gasped and gagged as he stumbled back towards the cave wall. It was like he had been hit by a wave as an eerie force slammed into him and invaded his body. His magic pushed it away but only for so long. Soon, he lost complete control of himself and felt the words leaving his throat but could do nothing to stop it. He had no control over his limbs or anything. His body was no longer his.

"You care so much for the boy." Merlin screamed in his mind, feeling unheard –as if he were watching his own body from his eyes. The voice sounded so cocky and devious while using his mouth to speak. "He does not know, for you do not tell. Such uncertainty. Oh, if your father found out you would both be hung. Uther would be so disappointed. You, the high and mighty prince of Camelot, caring for a lowly servant boy. And this one at that. You naughty boys."

"Let him go!" Arthur screamed, turning on Merlin with his sword, shaking as he held it somewhere between lowering and preparing to attack. Daria was barking again, this time in Merlin's direction. "Get out of him."

"What if I break him?" Merlin could see his arm lifting into the air, he could feel his eyes watching, but it wasn't him doing it. "He is strong but I am stronger."

"Leave him alone." Arthur's tone was deadly as he took another few steps forward. "Now."

"What will you do?" Merlin felt his face turn to a smirk as Arthur continued to shuffle towards him and he could feel the presence inside of him start to move. He screamed again inside and in his own voice he yelled, "Arthur stay back!" Too soon, the dark presence shifted back into control and used his body to laugh and clap his hands together. "Strong indeed. Yet, not strong enough."

Everyone controlled lifted their hand at the same time, chanting the same words, all in Arthur's direction. Merlin mentally struggled as he watched Arthur's sword fly from his hands and to the opposite wall just as his body was flung into the air and thrown out of the cave, hovering high above the tops of the trees.

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted from his deadly position as the storm picked up around him and swung his body with the changes in the wind.

_Let him go! _Merlin shouted clearly and commanding in his mind.

_Are you sure you mean that? _A voice answered him, much like his own but he was not having that thought.

_Bring him back to safety._

_You must make me. Or will that risk Arthur finding out about your sorcery? The decisions you must make, Emrys. _

Merlin did not even have to think about it for a second. Arthur was in danger and that was enough of a reason for him. He pulled all his magic and rage forward and shot his body back against the rocks. He felt the pain as his neck bruised against the stone but he also felt the shift in control as he pulled Arthur back inside and turned towards the mass of villagers with cloudy eyes. He threw his hands out and, without being sure of what spell he was performing, he shot out a pulse of magic that sent everyone to the ground in one simultaneous fall, their bodies free of the control.

_So, the legends are true. _The voice in his mind spoke but refused to budge as he tried to send the spirit from his body. _Yet the legend is still just a boy. _

_Get out. _

_I shall. Good luck explaining this to Arthur. I will see you again.  
_

In one pull, Merlin felt his mind empty and he screamed in pain as he was mentally ripped in two. His body fell to the ground in a slump and, for the second night in a row, he passed out cold on the dirt of the ground.


	5. Curiosity Killed the Cat

**AN:** I'm sorry for the cliff (and the literal cliff that cliff stemmed from). Life got in the way of posting sooner but your reviews- too lovely…the urge for cookies….so strong…oh, god can't – stop- the update- for jam cookies- (I like strawberry jam. It is my favorite.)

* * *

"Merlin?" Merlin could just barely hear Arthur calling his name, somewhere stuck between hellish dreams filled with deathly wails and the verge of consciousness. "Merlin, can you hear me?"

"Is he waking?" Vivalda's voice joined his but Merlin could make no move to let them know he heard.

"I can't tell."

"Here. Let me-"

"No!" Arthur was suddenly closer, the heat of his body near enough to brush against the blanket covering Merlin's chest. "He doesn't need any more magic."

"Arthur, he is hurt. His brain could be swelling and that means true danger. Allow me a simple healing spell and nothing more."

"He does not need more magic."

"As you wish." Merlin could hear the disgruntled Vivalda leave and almost fell back asleep in the pause that followed until Brock spoke, his voice as gentle as a man his size could get it. "Would you like some more water for his forehead."

"That would be good. Thank you." As Brock left, Arthur moved even closer and placed his hand over his. Merlin was too tired to grab it and wind their fingers together, though he wanted to. "Merlin, you idiot." He wanted to smile to cover the worry he had over the distress in Arthur's tone but he wasn't sure if his body was listening. "Wake up."

Despite his attempts to do as Arthur said, everything went back to black after that.

When he woke again no one was there holding his hand. In fact, as he blinked open his heavy lids and glanced around the empty tent he realized no one was there at all.

"Arthur?"

"He'll be back soon." Vivalda said after entering from the noise he made. She leaned into his field of vision and swept her calculating eyes over him. "How do you feel?"

He grunted and lifted a hand to his damp aching head, removing the warm cloth from his brow. It felt as though he had been kicked in the skull by a horse. His stomach was also in knots, the pain in his head ripping down his center and bringing him an uncomfortable nausea. "I've had better days."

He tried to push himself off the cot they had made for him but his vision started to swim and Vivalda stuck out a hand, pushing him back down with a firm but gentle shove. "That was quite the source of dark magic." She turned and brought him a cup of water, which he greedily downed as she spoke. "I could not fight it. And yet you could."

"Luck I suppose." He gasped over his final gulp as the memories started to flood back. Violation spread through him and he cringed at the image of his hand reaching out and sending Arthur over the edge of that cliff, the ghostly feel of that thing using his body as he watched. Arthur was safe though, he heard his voice. There was no need to worry in that. There was a much greater worry to be had over what Arthur heard and saw.

"Oh I believe it was more than just luck." Vivalda took his cup away to bring him more. "You saved Arthur and you saved our village. Allow me to repay you in some small way. When expelling the darkness from you, you hurt your head. Let me heal you."

Merlin nodded, another wave of pain following the move. She walked to the top of his makeshift bed and he closed his eyes as she hovered her hands over his temples.

"What are you doing?!" Arthur stormed into the tent, causing Merlin's head to snap painfully to him.

"I have his permission."

"Arthur please-"

Arthur ignored his plea, "After what just happened? Merlin you don't need magic. You'll be fine."

The pounding in his head disagreed. "Arthur I cannot continue if I cannot walk and I can barely move. It's alright. I trust her to help."

Arthur looked furious as he mulled over Merlin's words. Sympathy for Arthur's reasoning came quick but it was too closely followed by another wave of nausea. Arthur must have seen his weakness and agreed with a frown, grabbed the hilt of his sword and nodded at Vivalda in approval to let her continue.

The spell was done quickly, the words familiar to those the children had been practicing with her in the cave and the feel the same. The magnitude of the effect was much greater, instantly covering his head in a soft warm touch that slipped through the rest of him and fixed the overall discomfort. When she had finished, there was still a dull pull at the back of his neck to remind him of the event and a mental wound that no magic could fix but he felt energized and pushed to a sitting position to thank her.

"It was my pleasure." She looked once at Arthur whose scowl remained as if carved into his face like the stone of a statue. A very angry statue. With a tight smile to Merlin she nodded towards the flap of the tent and made her leave. "I'll leave you two be."

Once she had closed the opening behind her, Arthur took his hand from his weapon, strode to Merlin's side, and reached that hand out, letting it fall on his shoulder with a mild thud. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. Better. Sore, but I'll be fine." Merlin raised his eyes to speak more but found the words missing their mark as Arthur's gaze met his. Just as Merlin had feared, the happenings from the night before did not escape Arthur's attention for a single moment. As Merlin had been out cold, Arthur had much more time to analyze the situation on his own. Something Merlin knew to be unproductive and even harmful.

"What happened Merlin?" Arthur asked, took his hand away and slowly paced in the small space he had to do so.

Merlin found he had no explanation at the ready and could only say, "I don't know."

"Only those with magic were controlled. How did it control you?"

"I don't know."

"How were you able to defeat it?"

"I don't know."

"What was it talking about? Why was it calling you by a different name? How did it know about us?"

"I don't know."

"Stop saying that!" Arthur snapped and it took a few more paces for him to speak again without yelling. Merlin felt himself clench with anxiety all the same. "Something is going on here and I don't like it. Something I don't understand. Something with you."

"With us. It was speaking to both of us."

"Yes but what it said about me I know to be true, or some version of it. What I don't understand is what the devil it was talking about with you! What was it saying?!"

"I don't know Arthur! Alright? I really don't know. Maybe it knows we are coming for it. Maybe it was just trying to throw us off the trail. To separate us by telling lies."

"What happened when I was outside the cave? I was floating over the cliff. How did I get back inside?"

"I don't-"

"Don't say you don't know!"

"Remember." Merlin felt the lies continue to escape him, something he found regrettably second nature. He hated it, it was not easy, and yet it happened so often the words just flowed on their own. "I don't remember. Everything blacks out after you went over the cliff."

"The others, I hear them talk outside the tent. They say you did it."

"How?"

"I was going to ask you."

"I don't remember Arthur."

"Then why do I feel like there's something you're not telling me?"

"I don't know."

Arthur stopped his pacing and crowed his space, searching for the answers Merlin was trying to hide. "Help me understand Merlin. What was it saying? Why was it speaking in riddles? How did it know who I was? How did you beat it if no one else could? What is it?! Where did it come from?!"

"I don't know Arthur. I know you have more questions than answers but I can't tell you. But we scared it right? It knows we're coming but it tried to stop us. That's good, isn't it? It means it's scared."

Arthur's frown only deepened as his eyes raked over Merlin's body. Gods he hated this. Arthur knew. He had to know. There was no way he could ignore this. What was he to do? He wasn't ready to tell him!

Arthur interrupted his mental panic attack, "Come on. Brock said he would take us through the forest after you woke." He stomped out of the tent without acknowledging Merlin's attempt to calm him.

Merlin looked at the rubble that littered the ground- rocks strewn about the space, the entrance to the cave blown about, puddles of water soaking the dirt and covering the cave in mud, and the fire pit blown to pieces. Did he do that? He remembered the destruction that had started by the dark being charging its way in but he had to have caused some damage in his spell. If only he could remember the details. It was all clouded by the mental pain in his mind.

Greeting them both outside was a plethora of angry stares and mistrusting glances. Everyone was helping clear the space and repair the damage. It seemed odd that magic was not being used to clean it up but after the events from the night before, Merlin supposed he couldn't blame him.

On the outside of the rubble, near the edges of the tunnels, were more cots prepared for many injured. Merlin recognized a great deal as the ones staring at them with cloudy eyes, their bodies infiltrated by that darkness. Was it the darkness that made them lay there? Or was it his spell expelling it that caused them to be ill?

Selena was handing out food to the sick with Esme dutifully by her side but as soon as she spotted Merlin walking towards them to meet Brock, she grabbed her daughter by the arm and pulled her away with a furious scowl in his direction. His heart sunk as he watched them leave, Esme throwing a worried glance over her shoulder, but there was nothing he could do or say. She looked pale and sickly but at least she was alright enough to walk about and help her mother. Vivalda probably healed her as well. He was glad. She did not deserve what happened to her. No one there did. It was all his fault. The Primal Dark was after him and Arthur, if they had not stayed it would not have come.

As soon as Augusta and Ogden spotted them, they took it upon themselves to explain everyone's distrusting actions –though an explanation was not truly necessary.

"We said it." Augusta started from her cot, followed up by her brother in the cot adjacent.

"We knew they would be trouble. Outsiders are always trouble."

Brock was quick to try to diffuse the situation but it seemed they felt too passionately to be rattled by his presence. "There was a time when the two of you were outsiders as well," he reminded them as Daria strolled up to his side, taking a sniff of Merlin's legs. It seemed she agreed with this version of him and settled down beside him instead of growling as she had before.

"Not like them." Augusta argued. "They brought that thing here. They tried to kill us!"

"We didn't try to kill you." Arthur argued back. "I give you my word, we didn't know the sorcerer would-"

"Oh right," Ogden cut in. "Prince Arthur Pendragon didn't try to kill us. Our bloody hero. How are we meant to believe a word you say?! Your word means nothing here!"

"I am telling the truth."

"You're a Pendragon. You are Uther's son. We know what you think of us. And now all our crops our dead. Our stock, our supplies, all gone. People are injured and bleeding. You did this to us." The twin's yelling had brought the attention of others, coming to give their own opinion, shouting in agreement with Ogden. "So why don't you just leave? Before we cast you out ourselves."

"We are leaving." Merlin said before Arthur could yell again or Ogden could cross the line. It was clear they were no longer welcome and he wanted to be free from this place as quick as possible as well. The longer Arthur stayed, the worse it would be.

"Good. We don't need traitors like you, Emrys." Augusta spat. "How can you be friends with a Pendragon when you practice magic?"

Merlin felt the world open beneath him and the room start to spin, all the faces of the angry villagers bleeding into each other. His mouth opened and his knees started to give way, everything becoming just too much for him to handle. That's when Arthur's voice pierced through the veil and snapped him back to attention.

"Merlin does not practice magic!" Arthur shouted furiously, a hand back to resting against his weapon. "And stop calling him by that name. It is not his. The sorcerer was lying."

"Are you blind?!" Augusta laughed.

"How else could that thing entered him?" Ogden added on.

"Maybe you're working with it." Augusta egged on, rallying the crowed behind her. "Maybe they're using it to attack sorcerers like us!"

"I have had enough!" Vivalda showed up in an instant, disbanding the situation with the fewest of words. "We have welcomed these two as guests. Pendragon or not, they have done nothing wrong. What happened is unfortunate but we survived. Do you truly believe that they were working with the darkness? After it hurt them both? After it nearly killed them? Are you really so stupid? Now they are going. Leave it at that."

Vivalda grabbed them and turned them towards the fire pit as the others wallowed in the shame she dealt, most still arguing amongst themselves but none daring to argue with Vivalda. "I apologize. I teach them partnership, teamwork, yet it does not always have a positive outcome. Fear does many things. They do not understand that power, how it was able to take over Merlin, how it was able to take over all of them. They will twist and turn the facts to bend them to their will. It is easy to award blame and hard to dig up the truth."

"I understand." Arthur ejaculated, ready to be done with them all.

"Follow me." Brock gestured towards the other side of the cave, the side with the fewest people. "We'll leave out the back."

Arthur nodded and followed, his feet stomping across the mud as he trailed Daria and their guide. Merlin started to follow but Vivalda called him back. He gestured for Arthur to go ahead and turned to her when he was out of earshot.

"You must tell him." Merlin opened his mouth but Vivalda spoke again before he could say anything. "You cannot keep this from him. He is aware of the circumstance. It will not take him long and he will never forgive you if you do not tell him first."

Merlin pinched his brows together, his aching head getting worse by the moment, almost as if she never healed him. "You saw how he reacted to this. I'm not even sure what happened. How do I explain this?"

"That is for you to decide. You cannot face this without him knowing. It is not fair to him."

"I- I can't- I don't know how."

"I have faith you will figure it out."

Merlin frowned and shook his head. Everyone had such faith in him. He could never figure out why. "Do you see anything?" He asked hopefully, remembering her powers. "That could be of help."

"I'm afraid all I see is that darkness. It is not over. That is all I know for certain." She shook her head and Merlin smiled to show her he was grateful for all she could do. "I would also like to take this time to apologize directly to you. Sorcerers as a people should stick together and yet they have cast you out because of your association with the prince. I am sorry for their ignorance."

"I cannot blame them. They do not know him like I do." Merlin fell silent as he watched Arthur walk on, ignoring the goads of the villagers with his will and letting Brock scare them off. "Thank you. You have done much for me here. You have shown me a lot. I wish I didn't have to leave you in this way. I'm sorry for what our presence has done. For your crops, for your injured-"

She stopped him with the raise of a hand. "These are all problems we can fix and they were not your fault. More trouble will come if you and the young Pendragon do not continue. So go. Your horses are ready."

"Thank you." Merlin ran off to join Arthur with a final look at the first hand pain this prophecy had caused.

* * *

"So not really your uncle then is it?" Brock tried to break the silence as they walked the winding path on the side of the mountain, down to the dangerous forest floor.

"No." Arthur answered coldly, mistrusting the laugh Brock threw into his words.

"I-" Brock coughed away the uncomfortableness. "I'm sorry about ah- disrespecting your land and your father there Arthur- er- your highness."

"Arthur is fine." Arthur snapped, "It's all fine."

There was an awkward moment where Arthur hung back, pretending to fix his saddle as Merlin and Brock walked on, Daria dutifully trotting by their side. He did not catch up, instead choosing to pout and spend his time with the thoughts rolling around in his mind.

Brock took the opportunity to speak, "So, Merlin. How're you feeling?"

"As good as I can. I suppose."

"That was all quite the fright."

"I'm not quite sure I even know what happened. For all I know there is still a danger for being around me."

"Well Daria seems to be calm enough now. Vivalda explained it to me. She tried to explain to many but they would not listen past the name Pendragon. I cannot say I blame them. She said you and Arthur are trying to stop this thing. That it's the one tearing the world to pieces."

"Trying, yes. It's very complicated."

"I can see that. But you know what else I saw?" Merlin looked over at him curiously. "You. You Merlin. I've never seen anything like it!" Merlin had to smile at the excitement the man could conjure in a moment's notice. "I may not have magic but I felt yours Merlin. The way you saved everyone and your friend was something out of legends. They way your eyes turned, the light coming off of you, shoving that thing away, I've never seen magic like that. I think he'd be proud of you if he could get his thoughts out of the ancient ways."

Merlin looked back over to Arthur, sighing as way of answer. Brock was quiet the rest of the time, leaving Merlin to the thoughts racing in his mind. How was he going to get out of this mess? It was all his fault. He was the one that did the magic that fulfilled that prophecy. He was the one that took Arthur up on the quest without giving him all the information. He was the one who wanted to stay at the village with the magic so he could learn more. He was the one that used magic. He was the one that lied over and over. Now he destroyed the lives and trust of a village, the trust of Arthur, and he was stuck in the chaotic limbo between truth and lies. What was he to do? Should he tell Arthur the truth? Or go on as he was? Could Arthur handle it? Would he accept him?

It was an uncomfortable silence the rest of the day. Brock led them through the forest floor, only speaking when he needed them to watch their step. The rain had caused more dangers for them but they managed to make it through. Once they had reached the edge, Brock offered to take them through the mountain pass, helping them with any trouble they came into contact with, but Arthur declined, wishing him to help his own people in their recovery.

"Well," Brock coughed, more inclined to listen to Arthur now than ever. "I wish you both luck." With a final pat from Merlin on Daria's head, they left them to their travels.

The trip rolled on painfully slow. Arthur was still furious, not speaking more than necessary and Merlin was furious in his own way for Arthur being so furious. He couldn't tell what the prince was thinking and it was frustrating to say the least. Did he know?

There was such an air of mistrust that followed them around, he wasn't sure how they would get past it or if it would lead to an explosion of truth that would ruin them both. He could only hope Arthur would stay by his side in the end. As the Great Dragon said, they needed to work together in this.

They survived in a bitter silence until they started to make their way through the final narrow pass between two high mountains. It was so small that Arthur had to lead, going in single file. They had to pull up their packs in order to fit, their legs grazing rock on either side as they walked on. It was the only path for them to follow, the sides surrounding them too steep to walk.

The horses were spooked first, reeling back and throwing their heads around, knocking into the stones in the restricted space. Merlin and Arthur looked around to see what had spooked them and caught eyes with the beast skulking down the rocks.

"Arthur," Merlin fearfully squealed. "Is that-"

"They're not meant to come out this far."

The cat was half the size of their horses but much more agile, bounding down the stones. A growl came from behind its large teeth, the bones curling over its lips and bending towards its jaw. Arthur drew his sword as the beast came closer, trying to control the horse below him, but all was lost when Merlin yelled as a second cougar pushed him, hidden from behind and bounding into his side in one painful blow.

The beast simply threw him from his horse, using its body but thankfully no claws. With a loud bang Merlin collided with the side of the mountain, his foot stuck in the saddle of his horse. The cat scratched its way up the side just as the other burst at Arthur, cut away by the edge of his sword, falling to the side of the rock, injured but not beat.

"Are you alright?!" Arthur yelled as he jumped off. He jogged to a wider bit of clearing preparing himself for the fight as his horse ran as far as it could go. Merlin did not have time to answer before the beast came back for him.

Merlin managed to turn away, twisting his leg further into the strap in the process. His horse bucked and he painfully bounced with it, his leg pulling at an awkward angle. He felt his aching head pound against more rocks as the horse continued to move, thankfully landing a blow across the cougar's head, sending it stumbling back into the valley of the pass before those fangs could reach him.

Arthur was facing the other, sword risen, waiting for it to strike. The cat's reflexes were fast and it pounced at Arthur's first step and quickly fell into a dive. With a snarl, it leapt at Arthur but the knight's reflexes were also sharp. He slashed his sword out and the already wounded cat now had a cut stomach to add onto its pain. The cries of that cougar called the other around as Merlin tried to free himself, still while being bucked around and slammed in the small space.

The injured cat was angered and it bolted. A final move by Arthur cut it down as his sword slid through its chest and killed it in the instant the metal pierced its beating heart. The cougar was heavy and as it fell, so did Arthur. The other cat took the opportunity to charge up the side of the cliff, it's long nails sending rocks falling over Merlin and his horse, before it slammed into Arthur's back and pinned him to the ground. A loud growl sounded out and its teeth came far too close to his overturned shoulders. Merlin screamed Arthur's name and finally freed his ankle, scooped up his legs and sent his horse running free.

Merlin stood and screamed for the attention of the cat, waving his hands about and making all the noise he could. Doing what came to mind first, Merlin reached out, picked up a discarded stone, and threw it directly at the cat's body. The golden eyes snapped to him when the object slammed into its coat, the growl now turned on him instead. He tried to run back as the cat attacked but his ankle gave way to a pain that shot up his leg and he tripped instead. The cat was soon in his vision, barring its teeth and ready to take a chomp out of his inners when Arthur came up from behind, jumping the height of the beast and slamming his sword through it's back and stopping it from its murderous attack.

The full weight of the cougar fell on him and Merlin cried out. He pushed and Arthur pulled until the beast was lying on the ground dead. "Are you alright?" Arthur cried at the sight of the blood and fell to Merlin's side.

"My ankle-" Merlin panted.

"Come on." Arthur grabbed his arm and helped him to his feet. "There might be more."

Merlin limped and watched the sides of the cliff as Arthur carried him off. The horses were a running mess but Arthur was able to rein them in. Merlin kept his thighs tight and his ankle out of the strap as they moved quicker through the pass, forgetting the caution in favor of self-preservation.

When they pulled through the dangerous lands and into a clearing, they made camp. Arthur set it up as Merlin was having trouble walking around and he kept guard against a tree instead, contemplating what had just happened. It shouldn't have happened. He never should have gotten hurt. In any other situation magic would have been his first defense. It would have sent the cat away, it would have freed him from the restrains, he would not be hurt and he would be clear of the buckets of blood covering his body. He would be starting the fire instead of Arthur attempting to do so, striking the flint over and over again without success.

Magic could have saved them but he didn't use it. It didn't happen. He was too scared over what happened last time. Over Arthur's distant attitude. He couldn't use it then, for fear of proving his thoughts true. That fear almost killed them.

"Merlin?" Arthur called his name, a hand flashing in front of his face, trying to grab his attention.

With a start, Merlin looked up from his spot on the ground. It was the first time Arthur said his name since leaving the village.

He watched as Arthur fell to his knees in front of him, his eyes curling at the corners in distress and his lip quivering as he admitted, "I can't start the fire."

Merlin reached out, took up Arthur's shoulder, slid his hands up his neck, and pulled him closer. "Here." He held out his hand for the flint. "I'll do it."

"You always- you-" Arthur dropped the flint to the ground and crushed Merlin's lips in an unexpected dip, curling his hands over the sides of Merlin's face and pulling him nearer. A surprised noise slipped from Merlin's throat and he pulled Arthur closer, sliding his mouth open and allowing Arthur to suck him in. When he pulled away Arthur kept his forehead pressed against his and breathed hot puffs of air against his cheek. "I'm sorry. I've been such a prat. With all that's happened I just- I wasn't prepared to face something like that. I was terrified."

"It's just my ankle."

"No, not that. You. That thing, that sorcerer- I didn't know what to do. I had my sword in my hand and I couldn't do a thing. I couldn't protect you. You weren't you and- I don't know what I'd do without you. And then with what Augusta and Brock and Esme said- And I was just so confused. As Vivalda said, it is easier to give blame and I blamed you and I shouldn't have. Magic is to blame. That sorcerer is to blame. Those are the true evils. I just kept seeing your eyes clouded and I could not rid the dark thoughts from my mind. I'm sorry I ever doubted you. I trust you with my life, I should have trusted you with this. I know you don't understand what happened any more than I do and yet you stay by my side. You see what we're up against and you are still with me. I almost lost you twice now. I'm so sorry."

"No," Merlin cried, slamming his eyes tight together –preventing the stinging tears from pooling over. "I'm sorry. I wish I could say- I don't know how. It's so hard."

"And you are very brave." Arthur reassured him, misunderstanding the meaning behind his words. Merlin felt the pain of his guilt overwhelm him as Arthur placed a kiss on his forehead, only getting worse as his lips slipped back down to his mouth. Merlin held him and kissed him back, curling his fingers into his hair and keeping him close so he could not see the pain on his face or the tears that escaped.

They stayed close like that, making silent apologies as the dark of night clouded around them. Arthur, believing he was making everything right when really he was just breaking Merlin's heart.

The silent tension fell away and the travel became easier over the next few days. They had to stay a night outside the mountain pass to test Merlin's ankle and give it a chance to heal. Even though he learned the spell from Vivalda, healing magic was out of the question. It still hurt but it did not prevent him from climbing his horse and riding by Arthur's side into Deira. The atmosphere seemed to lift along with their attitudes as they left the "Perilous Lands" behind them. Yet, the chaos continued. They avoided villages but they saw enough in their travels to hint at the destruction the Primal Dark had caused. Empty abandoned campsites and a few dead bodies were enough motivation for them to pick up their pace.

Everything seemed to go back to normal until their second night in the new kingdom.

Merlin could not start the fire. He blamed the constant rain for soaking the wood and soaking his flint. Every stroke just reminded him that he could use magic to fix it. Perhaps it would be worth telling Arthur right then. He was running out of time anyway. Vivalda was right; he couldn't let him go into battle without the true knowledge of what he was facing. The Primal Dark would tell him anyway, that much was obvious.

It was cold and they were both hungry and he couldn't stand it. He double-checked Arthur, who was talking about his plans to find the sorcerer and call his men from Camelot to meet them before going into battle. When he was sure the prince was preoccupied with considering either meeting his knights half way to help them through the "Perilous Lands" or to risk letting them come on their own to save time, he whispered a spell for the flames to catch, the fire roaring at full blast in an instant.

Once they were full, he would try and bring it up…maybe. If the knights were coming, that would complicate things further. Perhaps there was a chance he could do this without Arthur finding out. How could he tell him after the way Arthur acted to the events at the village? He would just have to tell him about the Primal Dark without explaining how he knew about it. He could do that. He would do that. Everything would be fine.

"MERLIN!"

Oh gods, he didn't see did he? He didn't see him start a fire, something he had done thousands of times before. This was not how he found out about his magic! Something so trivial as staring up some flames because he was too frustrated with the flint. Not even in battle protecting him? Or just finally confessing? No this, _this_ was how?!

"What is this?"

Maybe not.

Merlin turned to see Arthur holding up the one thing he was never supposed to find. His heart pinched at the sight of his magic book of spells gripped tight in Arthur's angry hands. The book of spells Gaius had given him. The only book of spells he owned.

Maybe so.

"I don't- I-"

"This is a book of magic Merlin. What is it doing in my pack?"

"Your- your pack?"

"Yes. My pack."

"It must have been put it in there by mistake."

"Mistake?"

"Yes."

"Merlin," Arthur sighed and sat next to him on the ground, shaking his head and giving him pity filled eyes. "I know you are curious about what happened to you. I know we had to leave before you could get all the answers but this is not the way. Magic is not the answer. You should not be tempted by it. That sorceress never should have given this to you."

"I wasn't-"

"I know you are scared but it's all over now. When we confront the sorcerer behind this perhaps you can get more answers there. But not with this."

Merlin felt the weight of a boulder drop on his chest, knocking the air clean out of him, as Arthur threw the book away, straight into the pit of the fire, surrounding it with the flames he had created. He wanted to scream, he wanted to grab it, he wanted to use his magic to take it out, but he could not. Arthur was there with a hand on his shoulder, keeping him in place as he watched it burn. "I'm sorry Merlin. It's for the best."

"For the best." Merlin breathlessly repeated as the edges caught and the fire started to eat away at the one thing that brought him comfort when he was all alone wondering about who he was meant to be. It was magic for gods' sake! How could something like a little fire destroy it?! And yet there it went, orange engulfing page after page until he saw the last specks of ash falling to the ground.

Arthur fell asleep first that night as Merlin stared into the black, letting the fire go out. His eyes closed with the last flame as it died and in the utter black that covered him he let the tears he held back finally started to fall over as everything became just too much. It was clear, he could not tell Arthur the truth. It seemed he never could.

This was his destiny. To lie and manipulate and to hide his identity while trying to save the man he loved. All he could ever ask for would be forgiveness. Gods let the pain be worth it. Let Arthur forgive him.

Through his silent sobs Merlin heard a noise far off in the distance. It was the high and strong sound of a dog howling up at the hidden moon. For some reason that sound drove a chill straight down Merlin's spine. The cold echo made it sound as though the beast was claiming a blood thirsty victory. Despite the pain it brought him, Merlin closed his eyes to light the fire yet again, and laid his aching body down to give way to dreams filled with cloudy eyes and loud barks.


	6. Detour

They were days away and the anticipation was eating Merlin from the inside out. One more night in Deira and they would be on the border of North Umbria. From there it would only be a matter of finding the 'sorcerer' and the battle would commence.

Every step made Merlin's anxiety grow to the point where Arthur became more concerned than normal, questioning his nerves now that they were closer to their target. Truly, yes, his nerves were all in knots at the thought of facing something so big but they were worse off now that he had to be extra vigilant about his magic and that he had no book to provide help in their quest. He was on the edge of a very rickety cliff and he knew that one false step would earn him a very long and hard crash with no one there to catch him.

They were still taking the roads less traveled to avoid running into any strangers and by a stroke of luck one of those roads led to a hot spring. A mist hung in the air but it did not rain that day and after making camp they decided to make up for the lack of water soaking them to the bone and go for a swim. The steam spiraled around the rocks and reached out to them, seeming to invite them to dip into the pool surrounded by lush green grass and smooth sand.

Arthur was first, as he made the suggestion, and made a show of slipping off his shirt and wiggling out of his trousers before striding stark naked to the edge of the spring. He jumped straight in with a smile cast over his shoulder and bounced right back up, tossing his head to the side to rid the wet hair clinging to his face and beckoned Merlin to join him. Merlin could only acquiesce his request and stripped to nothing, jumping in and making sure to splash Arthur as he did so.

The heat of the water did wonders for him. Every inch of his body relaxed as he treaded the water easily, floating back until he reached the rocky edge and leaned against a jutting stone. As he looked up he smiled because there was a small break in the clouds that night, the first they had seen in what must have been weeks. The moon was just shining through and glowing against the glassy surface, rippling just a bit as Arthur swam next to him and kissed a drop of water off his neck. His smile grew and suddenly not everything seemed so monstrous, almost as if things were as they had always been.

"What's that look for then?" Arthur asked as he slipped his hands around Merlin's sides and pulled him against his chest.

"Oh, I was just thinking about this prat I know." Merlin chuckled to himself as Arthur gave him an extra hard squeeze.

"Were you? Thinking of other men with me right here? Should I be worried?"

"Well he _is_ better looking than you-"

Swiftly, Arthur scooped Merlin off the rock and threw him into the water before picking him back up and twisting his body around to face him, all with a smile on his face. "What was that Merlin? I couldn't quite hear you."

"Then get the water out of your ear!" Merlin bit his lip and smiled, rolling his eyes and giving in to the large puppy eyes of his pitiful companion. "I said you're actually quite handsome."

"That's what I thought."

Merlin glided to Arthur as he pulled him closer and slipped his lips over the side of Merlin's neck. The night air was cool against his damp skin but Arthur's tongue was hot as it caught the drops slipping down his chin and licking a line up to his ear. As Arthur's teeth pulled across his lobe, the nagging feeling of guilt start to pull as well. Even their time alone together could not block his burden completely.

When Arthur's hands started to trail down his sides and skim over the skin under the water, tickling him with every pass, he found those thoughts blurring and turned his head to catch Arthur's wet lips. He could handle the weight of the world after the man he loved was done being so distracting.

They started to float, their legs kicking into each other, as Arthur pushed them off the rock and switched them around, fumbling about while treading water. Merlin laughed openly when Arthur accidently sucked in some of that water, earning him a splash directed at his face. He retaliated with a splash of his own, which led to a small round of fighting in the warm liquid but soon they found each other again, sopping wet and smiling wide.

Arthur pulled them back to another stone jutting from the side, big enough for the two to lean on, and set them against it so they would not tire from the continuous swimming. Merlin wrapped him close and let his hand trail under the surface, around the curve of Arthur's back and over the lumps of his arse, squeezing his hips against his body. A moan rose around Arthur's tongue as it made a pass over Merlin's teeth. Merlin's hands clutched into the hidden flesh as Arthur sucked on the tip of his tongue, rolling his teeth to draw in more of the rough surface.

Without more cause, Merlin let desire take him and rolled a hand over the front of Arthur's side and blindly followed the curve of his hipbones down to his length bobbing straight up in the water. He curved his hips until his throbbing member slid against Arthur's and pulsed against his hand. His long fingers curled around them both and he stroked down both of their shafts, causing a gasp of want to escape their lips at the same time.

The heat of the water and steam circled every inch of them as Merlin continued to rub them both. A roll of water crashed around their heated erections following each movement of his hand and it sent them each collapsing into each other, their lips no longer dancing as their heads rested on each other's shoulders, gasping and crooning with every small gesture. It was all Arthur could do to hold them upright as he slipped an arm around Merlin's side and pulled them closer to the rock where he kept his other hand gripped tight, nails biting into the coarse niche.

The waves started tumbling around them and colliding with every edge of the spring as their hips started to gyrate, rubbing up against each other and into Merlin's hand. His grasp stumbled as every thrust forcibly pushed him against Arthur and his fingers apart, their heads gliding together and setting his nerves on fire. He pulled a breath of muggy air through his teeth as he gripped Arthur's shoulder to keep him from falling away from that intoxicating, slick touch.

What little resistance the water held against their wet lengths slipping together could not stop the pull at their abdomens or the need that spiraled from their centers. They rocked into each other, panting out the other's name between affectionate half words -all pleas for more, for being perfect, or to let the other know how good they felt. It all built to a point where Arthur's body clenched too tight and he had to burst, spilling over with one quick cry into Merlin's neck, trickling out his love as he kissed up his neck and nipped at his mouth. Merlin continued for a few more strokes before letting Arthur float away and focusing on his own member, so built in pressure that he wasn't sure he could handle another second.

With his forehead against Arthur's he twisted his palm around and pumped his wrist about, curving over his head and milking the pleasure to its breaking point. He panted and gasped in the small space left between them, his body growing hotter than the water surrounding them as the beads of sweat mixed and dripped from his face. He gripped harder, curving into his touch and demanding his body to fall over the edge. Only it wasn't listening. He was just on the very brink and he could feel it but his muscles were straining and his body was tensing with no release. He cried in frustration as he pushed his arm to go faster, cursing himself when it refused to do more than ache and beg him to stop.

After the immediate post orgasm glow had left him, Arthur realized Merlin's lack of relief and slipped his hand under the water to bat him away. Merlin let his hand go free as Arthur whispered pleas for him to relax and then he realized the grip he had on the other man's shoulder. He unlocked his fingers there too and sighed when Arthur replaced his hand on his member. Arthur slowed down and gently slipped the length of his erection as he continued his mutter in his ear.

Merlin tried to do as he said and, though his frustration made it difficult, he eventually let the sound of Arthur's voice in his ear, the heat of the water, and the slow feel of Arthur's palm over him guide him back to a soothing state. Those grunts of anger turned to quiet groans and soon he felt his body pushing itself to the limit once again. He closed his eyes to rid himself of the panic of never reaching his release and listened to Arthur as he whispered in his ear and nibbled at his lobe. "I've got you. Let go. You are so beautiful like this- so flustered. Just let go."

With the final command Merlin did as he was told and melted away as his body pushed over the edge and drenched him in pleasure. Every muscle slowly swept to relaxation as he let himself go and fell into Arthur's waiting arms. They sunk back against the stone and floated against the side as they stared up at that small sliver of moon and caught their breath.

* * *

In the morning after, they woke to a spot of sun streaming down and warming their faces. It brought new life into their purpose and a spring of hope started to grow because of it. They packed up their camp and started to walk the trails, as any other day, when a lanky boy came tumbling in front of them. He literally came tumbling in fact, falling right from the bushes onto his knees in one clumsy trip. Arthur automatically reached for his sword but the boy flipped to an upright position and threw his hands out in mercy. Merlin looked about but he could see no one else and the boy appeared to be alone.

"Please-" He looked about sixteen, skinny yet lean, with dirty clothes hanging off his shoulders and messy hair curling in front of his face. He was shaking and fumbling around in his spot on the trail, his balance not once seeming to return to him after his fall. "Please- you have to help me. Please-"

"Slow down." Arthur commanded as the young boy continued to shuffle around in his spot. He did not listen and instead continued to plead between broken gasps while trying to catch his breath from having ran so fast.

"You're the first I've seen in days. You have to help me. Please-"

"Give him some water." Arthur gestured for Merlin to get down and Merlin did as he was told and handed the stranger something to drink. He took it with many thanks and when his mouth was busy drinking Arthur asked, "What's wrong? Why do you seek our help?"

"My village," The boy gave Merlin his water back and turned to Arthur –much calmer but still desperate. "We were attacked by this beast! I don't know what to call it. It was some kind of dog or fox or- It was large. Biggest I've ever seen."

"Was it made of stone?" Merlin ventured a guess.

"Yes! A smooth stone that covers all features. How did you know?"

Merlin could feel Arthur's eyes on him and decided the truth was the best answer. "I heard a rumor."

"Would have been nice of you to share." Arthur said, not angrily but in a usual chastising way.

"How was I to know it was true?" Merlin argued back, though it only added a new pang of guilt to the overflowing bucket in his chest.

"Will you help?" The boy brought the attention back with his plea. "It comes every night at sunset and kills our people. Not one of us are fighters but I see the swords you carry. You could help! Please, it brings with it great despair. We grow weaker each night. I don't know if we'll last another."

Arthur contemplated the boy's words for a while as Merlin did the same, probably with a similar train of thought. If they helped this boy, it would delay their plans. If they continued, they may be able to stop the cause of the destruction and therefore stop this beast from attacking. It would take time, perhaps too much and the village would be destroyed. It was all a game of chance, playing with time in the hope of catching a stroke of luck. Were they really that lucky?

"Where is your village?" Arthur asked and the boy started to point to the east, the direction they did not want to travel.

"Two days ride that way. Does that mean you'll help?"

Merlin looked to Arthur as he did the same and nodded. Neither of them could refuse a plea for help. They each had a sense of duty to protect the innocent, even if it meant delaying their plans and prolonging the danger that lurked overhead.

"Do you have a horse?"

"Right this way." The boy stumbled as he popped back into the woods and came awkwardly back with a great big black horse that he –surprisingly nimbly- hopped on and led the way to a path veering off their trail that led them towards the village.

They traveled for a time with Arthur and Merlin sharing anxious untrustworthy glances and hushed quarrels. The last time they had been taken in by a stranger and travelled to an unknown village did not go so well. It seemed equally likely and unlikely that something just as disastrous would happen again.

"My name's Frederick, by the way. In case you wanted to put a name to your whispers." The boy looked back with a smile and shrugged as if to say he did not mind their gossip. "It's alright. I understand. It's hard to trust anyone these days. If it's any consolation, I trust you as little as you trust me. But you're the ones with the swords, aren't you?"

Arthur, taking charge as he always tended to do, spoke for them both. "Well Frederick, I'm Arthur and this is Merlin."

"Nice to meet you both." Frederick replied in the same chipper tone, much different from the panic driven one from before. "And, if I may ask, what are you fine gentlemen doing this far north? Most have left by now. Other than the looters. Are you two looters? Because, I have to tell you, I don't really have much to steal. Unless you enjoy robbing the man of the clothes on his back. If that be the case, well at least take me to dinner."

Arthur and Merlin shared a comical look as Frederick gave them a wink over his shoulder. Perhaps it was the rare sight of sun slipping through the clouds, the young age of the boy, or his blazing smile but Merlin could already feel himself more accepting in helping him.

"So, Arthur and Merlin, would that be the case?"

"We are not looters." Arthur reassured him. "Simply travelers."

"Travelers? Hogwash." Fredrick threw them another grin to let them know he meant no harm in his words. "Because it's so scenic with all the murder going on? What view are you enjoying? No. You're one of the bounty hunters. I'd bet money on it."

"Bounty hunters?" Merlin asked, shaking off the haze of the boy's upbeat attitude.

"The men trying to earn money for ridding us of…whatever it is that's causing this. People say magic but it feels bigger than that. Doesn't it?"

"Yes." Merlin agreed with a small smile to himself. "Yes, it does."

"I suppose you're on your way to North Umbria? I'm sorry for pulling you off your course."

"It's alright." Arthur reassured him. "We are here to help."

"Maybe I could help you, in return. I can't afford much but I could travel with you. I may be of some help."

"I'm sure we'll be fine on our own. Thank you." Arthur replied politely. He seemed more relaxed in his answer than Merlin would have expected. He supposed the spring, the sun, and the boy's attitude had the same effect on his knight as it did on himself.

"Of course you will." Frederick answered with a smile. "Thought I would offer all the same. I'll find some way to repay you. I'm sure."

Frederick was easy to talk to, in that he mostly talked to himself. He made for energetic company and that did not stop when they paused for lunch at the bank of a river, giving their horses a chance to rest and drink.

"We're out of meat." Arthur said disdainfully, frowning directly at Merlin –as if it were his fault.

"We have more berries." Merlin grimaced at the open pack of smooshed berries on the ground.

"If either of you have a bow, I'm quite the shot." Frederick smirked and mimicked shooting with an arrow. Arthur rolled his lips and contemplated how to tell this stranger he could not have one of his weapons but Frederick caught on. "If not," He dove down and picked a rock up from the creek. "This'll do. You two rest." With that, he smiled and ran off into the woods before either boy could stop him.

"He seems rather…" Arthur trailed off and Merlin nodded his head.

"Cheery."

"Yes, cheery."

Merlin tilted his head and added, "Nice."

"Yes nice too. I still don't trust him."

"Should we wait for him to come back or should I come with you now?"

"No, I'll head out alone. You watch the horses." Arthur nodded as he pulled out the crossbow he hid for hunting and kissed Merlin quick on the lips. "And try not to screw anything up."

"Prat."

"Idiot."

Merlin found no comfort in being alone. Everything was a whirlwind of pressure and now he had this charming stranger and his village to worry about. This would truly be his final test before the big battle. It would give him a chance to defeat a creature without Arthur knowing about the magic that was quickly starting to slip out of the cracks. If only things were different. If only Uther was not king and Arthur instead led. Maybe then it would be easier to tell him. Then again, these were just wishful fantasies.

As his mind started to spiral into the usual panic driven abyss, he found his gaze settling on the pure black coat of the horse belonging to their new acquaintance. He found his curiosity peaking. With all that had recently happened on their encounters with strangers, he wanted to know more about this Frederick. The contents of his pack may tell him a thing or two. It was quite wrong of him, dishonorable, usually he wouldn't think on it, and he knew Arthur would not approve but Arthur wasn't the boss of him in every aspect of his life.

He slid to the side of the mare and ran a hand over its neck to let it know he was a friend. The horse did nothing and he slid his hand over to the pack on its side, slipping open the clasp and throwing the top away-

"So you're the looter then?" Fredrick popped up suddenly and spooked Merlin as he slammed the pack closed and therefore spooked the horse. "Hey, it's alright! It's alright." Frederick shuffled closer and calmed his horse with a few pets. "It's alright for you too Merlin." He smiled and Merlin sheepishly stepped back as he followed. "I would do the same thing honestly. Nothing in there but a few coins and a wrap of blankets I'm afraid."

"Sorry. I shouldn't have. I just-"

"No need to explain." Frederick laughed and held up the catch he made while hunting with his rock. "Caught a rabbit if you want to eat it. I'm sure Arthur will snatch something bigger but I can cook this in the meantime."

"I can do that." Merlin felt himself returning to his former state with Frederick's understanding and smiled kindly before pointing towards the pile of wood he had stacked. "I'm sorry I haven't started it yet. I was thinking."

"Ah, a man thinking alone in the woods. That's the most dangerous thing." Frederick winked and held his hand towards the fire, whispering a few words and chuckling as it came to light.

Merlin's heart thudded in his chest and he gaped at the boy's display of magic. Deira was nowhere near as understanding as Elmet about magic. What was with all the people doing magic lately? Could they really all tell Merlin had it? Did it have to do with this prophecy? Why so much fire? It had him flashing directly back to the circle in the cave to the exact moment when everything went inexplicably wrong.

"Merlin? Are you alright?" Merlin shook his head at the call of his name and saw Frederick was now by the fire with a knife in his hand and a concerned furrow in his brow. How long had he been thinking about that?

"Um- I'm fine. It's just- Arthur doesn't really approve of magic." He almost sounded confident in saying that but his nerves were on the point of breaking. He really just needed to sit down. If only his legs would move.

"Oh I'm sorry." Frederick's face fell and he started to ramble and apology. "I didn't mean to offend you. It's just second nature for me. I wasn't even thinking. I won't do it again around you. Either of you. Unless you-"

"No. That's for the best." Merlin nodded and breathed out as he joined him by the fire.

"So neither of you approve of magic then?"

"No." His voice was hollow as he told the lie, never having had to lie so outright about his magic to a fellow sorcerer before. He just could not risk it.

"Is there a reason?"

"There is."

"Can I ask why?"

"No."

Fredrick waited with his hands stretched towards the fire until Merlin had calmed on his wave of changing emotions before slipping in, "You know, not all sorcerers are bad."

"We know."

"It's just hard to sort them out. That's the same for people you know. All sorts of people have good and bad in them. It's tricky business to find which one prevails. The best thing we can do is to be honest with each other . Complete honesty is the only way we can learn to trust. Don't you think that's right? What's the point in even trying if it's all built on lies?"

Merlin frowned at his words as Frederick took to preparing the rabbit he caught. The abyss dragged him back down into that pressing guilt and he sat in silence while the stranger worked. He was shocked out of his dizzying thoughts when Arthur came back with two more rabbits in his hands and sat next to him as he helped. Eventually they lulled back into a conversation that Frederick easily jumped on to continue.

"My village has mostly girls. I get picked on quite a bit for it. I have many friends there though. Especially in the bakery. Which isn't always a good thing." He laughed and patted his thin stomach as if suggesting he had put on a few pounds.

"What about your family?" Arthur asked from behind a bite of meat.

"The only thing I know about my family is that my mum made the best cakes. I never actually knew her. My father either."

"I'm sorry," Arthur apologized. "I never knew my mother either."

Merlin felt the empathy that only those with a lost parent could feel and suddenly added, "I never knew my father."

"You never told me that." Arthur turned to him, concerned and slightly hurt.

"You never told me about your mother." Merlin said back, a bit harsher than he meant to as his emotions were near bubbling already. He did not need to feel guilty about this on top of everything else. He rarely ever spoke about his father.

"Should I- I'm going to- I'll be back." Frederick left while both were telling him it was alright for him to stay. He did not turn back.

Arthur waited until the boy had left and turned to Merlin will an apologetic frown. "I guess there's more to you that I don't know about."

"You never asked."

"Was I meant to?"

"No." Merlin sighed and felt himself sink back into the rocks on the ground. It wasn't very comforting but Arthur's concerned face pacified him again. He could not keep doing this to himself. "I never asked about your family."

"It's not a subject one brings up to the prince very often."

"Doesn't mean I shouldn't have asked. I suppose there's much I don't know about you as well." Merlin shook his head as he thought the proper way to ask his next question. "If you could know, everything, right now, would you want to?"

"About you?"

Merlin looked to make sure Frederick had not returned, bit his lip and pressed on. "Yes. If there was a way to know everything about me now rather than discover it for yourself, even if prolonging would only cause more trouble…would you?"

Arthur frowned at the question as he thought on it for a spell and answered, "I really don't know. I think there's a sense of mystery to be had, discovering things about you. I like it when you surprise me. Knowing everything would take out all of the fun, don't you think? Besides, you just might be worth the trouble. Why do you ask?"

Arthur gave him a loving smile and Merlin wished it warmed his heart but for some reason he knew this was not the answer he wanted. He wasn't sure what the answer he wanted was but this just continued him down his path of lies and betrayal. "No reason."

Frederick came back soon and they packed everything for the journey into town. Frederick promised them a night's sleep in the village before his would not harm them in any way and the prospect of an actual bed enchanted them both.

As they walked, Frederick grew on them more. He occupied their time with tales of his village and games for them to play. Every word out of his mouth was either a compliment or thanks and he naturally seemed goodhearted. Both Merlin and Arthur dropped their guard as they traveled on and told him stories of their own. The stories were not personalized, of course, and no mentions of Camelot or royalty or magic were given but they were entertaining all the same.

"And then Percy," Arthur and Merlin laughed as he tried to finish his story about Percival corralling a herd of pigs into their pen. "Percy screams just as one slips out between his feet and tried to turn and ends up face full of mud with the gate swinging wide open. They all trampled over his back. He had so much pork that week just to spite them."

Frederick joined their laughs and he sighed when they had subsided. "Even that story makes being a knight seem exceptional."

"I never said he was a knight." Arthur said abruptly, their laughs dying quickly.

"You didn't?" Frederick turned with a scowl. "Did you not say Sir Percy? I'm sorry. I must have misheard you. Are you two knights though?"

"Merlin?" Arthur laughed and pointed at his companion. "A knight?"

"I could be." Merlin argued, sitting up straighter in his saddle.

"You're chicken bones."

"Be nice Arthur." Frederick laughed. "Merlin has many hidden talents. I'm sure."

"Yes Arthur," Merlin smirked with the stranger taking his side. "Be nice. You big cow."

The village they stopped at for the night was mostly deserted. The only building with light pouring through the windows was the pub with the sound of many men cheering and pounding about inside. In the hopes of finding a warm bed without having to invade the private space of a vacant villager, they slipped inside.

Just as would be expected from a town deserted, the only ones left were the rowdy and the brawn. The pub was filled with blunderbuss men and women drunk on ale and whiskey, bumping into one another and arguing over the smallest of things. They looked like the sort one would expect in the "Perilous Lands", not like those families they had come into contact with. It was quite similar to the first pub they had stopped at, those with the flaming horses. All pubs seemed similar to Merlin.

"Well mates," Fredrick sighed as he stepped away from a glass coming directly towards his face. "I can go find the innkeeper then."

"Don't bother." Arthur said, holding out his hand. "Merlin can do it."

"He can?" Merlin asked, sending a quick glare in his direction.

"Of course you can." Arthur smiled and pushed him into the crowed.

Crowded areas were one place where being lanky came in handy. Merlin could duck in and around people until he reached the bar. Calling the bartender was a challenge in itself as he tried to wave him down. How could it even be so crowded when everything was so abandoned? The idea of Frederick's bounty hunters spun around in the back of his mind but he tried not to think much on it.

He continued to wave his arm around in a ridiculous fashion until he heard the high pitched whistle of Frederick sound behind him, automatically calling the object of his flailing over. Arthur stood behind him smiling and laughing at Merlin who couldn't expect anything less. "If you were just going to follow what was the point of pushing me?"

"Because I like to see you flustered Merlin." Arthur winked and Merlin's blush grew as he remembered the last time words like that left his partner's lips.

"If you two are done-" Frederick smirked and nodded towards the barkeep who had a permanent scowl as he glared down at them.

They had to wait a bit, so said the barkeep, for the innkeeper to stop in the pub. According to him, he would come by every night in the hopes of storing those out-of-towners, too drunk to ride anywhere. It would be a while still so they could enjoy a pint while they waited.

"Whoa, you better slow down." Frederick held out his hand as Merlin finished half his glass in a few gulps. The ale was sweet and he was thirsty. This day was too emotionally chaotic and confusing not to enjoy the numbing heat it brought.

"With the way Merlin drinks," Arthur shook his head. "He'll be fine."

"What do you mean, the way I drink?"

"You spend half your time in the pub Merlin. What else would you be doing?"

"I do not spend half my time in the pub!"

"Are you calling Gaius a liar?"

"If you knew what I was really doing-"

"Hey!" A loud voice rang from the table behind them and they turned to face a man with his face red from liquor. "Don't I know you?" The man's point might have been to any of them with the way he swayed.

"Oh I just have a familiar face." Fredrick called merrily, swiping a hand over his smooth chin.

"No not you," The stranger continued to slur and pointed towards Arthur. "Him. He's- ah- he's the- that er prince. Yes the prince of Camelot!"

"Camelot?!" One of the other members in the pub shouted before Merlin and Arthur could quiet them and more joined in after hearing.

"Did he say Camelot?"

"What're they doing all the way up here?"

"The prince?"

"Oh no." Merlin muttered to himself as they all started to crowd around, blocking the trio into their table.

"Is it true? Are you Uther's son?"

"Coming up here and invading our lands while we're weak. Just like him isn't it?"

"I bet we could get a price for him."

"Yeah, Uther would pay real nice to get his only heir back."

"Alive."

"No, I'm not-" Arthur's protests went unheard as the group of angry drunks bumped into their table and sent them stumbling back so Arthur and Fredrick had to stand as Merlin tried to slip away and join them.

"We don't need you around here." Someone else called. At this point their backs were against the wall and they had nowhere to turn without running into another angry face.

"Gentlemen, ladies," Fredrick spoke before Arthur had the chance, winking at the nearest woman. At least, Merlin believed it to be a woman. She was wearing a dress… "I'm sure if we all just sit down and have another drink we can figure this out." No one seemed to agree with him as they continued to grab bottles and other such weapons as they moved in closer. "No? Alright then. Arthur, Merlin I would duck."

"Duck?" Arthur and Merlin asked at the same time.

"Now!" Frederick called as he grabbed both of their shoulders and threw them all to the floor. Overhead a bottle broke as it clashed against the wall and the glass rained down on them.

The shouts followed and everyone charged. Merlin twisted away from a punch thrown in his direction and Frederick blocked it from hitting his face, throwing it away and following through with a punch of his own. The man stumbled back, straight into Merlin, and he was pushed back until he hit the bar. He grunted and threw the heavy man off him and tried to work his way back to Arthur's side.

Arthur was doing well on his own, trying not to draw his sword to prevent starting an unnecessary war or unnecessary bloodshed. He blocked blows along with Frederick, tossing the occupants to their side and ignoring them as they started in on each other. With the two side by side they actually made quite the fighting pair. Their hits were synchronized to the point where Merlin questioned them having fought together before. There was a slight pang of jealousy that seemed to thrash him in the chest, but then again that could have been the chair leg someone had thrown in his direction.

"Come on Merlin!" Arthur shouted to him as he lay on the floor. "Get up and be useful!"

"Yeah," Frederick agreed as he flung an attacker towards the door. "You're missing all the fun!"

Merlin rolled his eyes at both of them as he rolled to his feet and was promptly flung from behind, crashing into Arthur's side. "Merlin!" Arthur cried the same time he said, "Sorry!"

When Arthur had pushed him off, they turned and heard the whistle of a woman atop the bar, her fingers in her mouth and a long sword in her hand. "Stop messing about!" She yelled and the drunks surprisingly listened. "Go back to your drinks. There's no use killing anyone. Go on!" With another threatening wave of her sword, they all went to their tables and she hopped down, giving them a nod before going behind the bar to help the barkeeper fix the place up.

"Thank you Fredrick." Arthur said with a clap on the young boy's shoulder, the same gesture he would give any one of his knights. "You fight well. You should give yourself more credit. Perhaps we could use your help after all."

"Oh, it was nothing really." Frederick turned his mouth to Merlin's ear and whispered above the roar of the crowd, "Isn't that right Merlin?" Merlin pulled back in complete confusion to ask what he meant when he saw the sudden flash of grey clouding over the boy's eyes. It was the same grey Esme had while possessed by the Primal Dark, along with the rest of the villagers, and it sent a chill directly down his spine.

"You boys wanted the innkeeper?!" The barkeeper yelled to them and Arthur nodded.

"I'll secure our room." Arthur said without noticing anything strange happening and left the two alone.

Merlin stared for a moment longer, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him due to the stress before swallowing and nodding in Arthur's direction. "I'll go-"

"Eh-" He was tugged back by an invisible hand and thrown into the Frederick's side. The boy pulled an arm around his waist and kept him near the wall. "I don't think you'll be going anywhere. No running to Arthur to tell him. Because if you started telling secrets, then I might have to tell a few. We wouldn't want that. Arthur wouldn't either. You heard him in the woods when you asked. He'd rather have the fun." With a violent push Merlin was tossed back into the wall as Frederick's grey eyes loomed into his space, keeping him pinned and hidden from the unobservant Arthur. "So, let's all go to bed Merlin. We do have to save a village tomorrow. Which- you should know- I wasn't lying about. Those people really are in trouble. Arthur won't understand your pleads to forget about them. I suggest you don't bother." With a wolfish smile, the thing mascaraing as the boy Frederick led the way to Arthur who had a key in his hand and an innocent wave towards them both. "You should have turned back while you had the chance."

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**AN**: I found this chapter predictable and I'm sorry for that. If it wasn't predictable or repetitive or boring then you can just tell me to shut up :) . I'll explain in final notes or to you if you want. An Arthur POV chapter will come in a bit. Um, I can't remember what else I was going to say….Thanks for reading! (Sorry this update was a bit later than I expected as well).


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